PATIENTS EXPECTATIONS AND KNOWLEDGE OF PATIENT COUNSELING-SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FROM PHARMACISTS

The purpose of this article is to present research findings from a str eam of research undertaken in the 1990s that address three questions: (I) Why are patient's expectations and knowledge of counseling service s provided by pharmacists important?, (ii) What do patients expect fro m pharmacists?, and (ii,) How are patients' expectations of pharmacist services formed? The results from this stream of research show that m any patients lack an understanding about the expanded counseling roles that pharmacists are prepared to provide. A predominant patient expec tation of pharmacists is that of a supplier of prescription products r ather than that of a concerned counselor regarding medications. There is much more work to be done to inform patients about what their pharm acist is capable of doing in the health care system and how pharmacist services can add value to a patient's health care.