Department of Consumer Affairs Board of Pharmacy

Patient Consultation

California pharmacy regulations require pharmacies to maintain patient medication profiles and counsel patients regarding their prescription medication before dispensing. Consultation provides the pharmacist with the opportunity to educate patients who present new prescriptions and protect them from potential problems associated with a new medication by discussing possible side effects, contraindications and the importance of following directions. Consultation also provides the pharmacist one more opportunity to prevent dispensing errors by inspecting the medication container's contents to assure that the proper drug is dispensed.