Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Learn the structured medication counselling framework and apply in practice
1–2 weeks
Study a structured medication counselling framework — the 'Tell, Show, Do' model, the WHO medication counselling standard, or the equivalent used in your training programme. The framework must cover: what the medicine is and what it's for, how to take it (dose, frequency, timing, route), common side effects and what to do about them, interactions to avoid, what to do if a dose is missed, when to seek urgent advice. Apply the framework in a supervised practice session with a volunteer patient (consenting peer or simulated patient). Observer must be a registered pharmacist or registered nurse with medicines management authority.
Proof required
Submit your 1-page framework summary (naming all components) and your observer's signed feedback confirming they watched the practice session. Feedback must name the communication skills demonstrated and at least one area for improvement.
What gets checked
- All six counselling components are present in the framework summary — omitting 'interactions to avoid' or 'what to do if a dose is missed' is a common shortcut.
- Observer is a registered pharmacist or registered nurse with medicines management authority — not a peer student.
- Observer feedback is specific — 'good communication' is not specific; 'patient opened the inhaler correctly after the demonstration and repeated the device care instructions back accurately' is.
Common mistakes
- Counselling session conducted without a registered professional observer.
- Framework summary that describes the principle of counselling without listing the specific components to cover.
- Observer feedback that is generic and does not name a specific area for improvement.
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
What a verifier looks for
- Ask the student to demonstrate the first two components of the counselling framework for a named medicine.
- Check that observer feedback includes a specific area for improvement.
- Ask what the student would do if a patient said they couldn't remember to take their medicine every day.
Document 10 supervised medication counselling encounters
4–8 weeks (dependent on clinical placement)
Under direct supervision of a registered pharmacist or registered nurse with medicines management authority, conduct and document 10 real medication counselling encounters with consenting patients. Encounters should cover at least 4 different medicine types (e.g. inhalers, oral anticoagulants, insulin, antidepressants, cardiovascular medicines). For each encounter, record: medicine counselled, counselling components covered, any patient questions raised and how they were addressed, adherence barrier identified (if any), and supervisor sign-off. All patient data must be fully anonymised.
Proof required
Submit your counselling logbook with 10 anonymised entries, each countersigned by the supervising registered professional. At least 4 different medicine types must be represented.
What gets checked
- All 10 entries are countersigned by a registered pharmacist or registered nurse.
- At least 4 different medicine types are represented — 10 entries all for the same drug class does not demonstrate counselling breadth.
- Patient questions section is completed for each entry — if 'no questions raised' appears on all 10, the patient was not given adequate opportunity to ask.
Common mistakes
- All 10 encounters for the same medicine type — variety across medicine types is a specific requirement.
- Patient questions field blank on all entries — this field cannot be left blank; even 'no questions raised after open invitation' must be recorded.
- Patient identifiers not fully anonymised.
Resources
Foundationstart here
What a verifier looks for
- Ask the student what counselling points are specific to one of the medicine types in their logbook.
- Check that at least 4 different medicine types are represented.
- Verify full anonymisation across all 10 entries.
Demonstrate counselling competency in a formal assessed session
1–2 weeks
Complete a formal assessed medication counselling session observed and marked by a registered pharmacist or clinical supervisor — using your training programme's assessment tool or an equivalent structured assessment. The session must cover a medicine or combination of medicines that presents real counselling challenges (e.g. an anticoagulant requiring INR monitoring, an inhaled medicine requiring device technique, or a medicine with complex interaction profile). Receive written feedback on your performance.
Proof required
Submit the completed assessment form with the assessor's marks and written comments, plus your 1-page reflection on the assessment: what went well, what the feedback identified, and what you will do differently in the next counselling session.
What gets checked
- Assessment is formal and uses a structured tool — not just 'supervisor says it was good'.
- Medicine chosen presents real counselling challenges — paracetamol for a healthy adult is not a challenging counselling case.
- Reflection identifies a specific improvement action — 'I will do better' is not a specific action; 'I will practice the inhaler device technique with a placebo inhaler before my next counselling session' is.
Common mistakes
- Assessment without a structured marking tool — feedback that is narrative only does not constitute a formal assessed session.
- Medicine chosen is too straightforward — the assessment must challenge the student's counselling skills.
- Reflection that is self-congratulatory without engaging with the feedback received.
Resources
Foundationstart here
What a verifier looks for
- Confirm the assessment used a structured marking tool — ask to see the tool.
- Ask what the most challenging aspect of the counselling session was.
- Check that the reflection identifies a specific, implementable improvement action.
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