Can a technician counsel a patient?

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Only with a pharmacist present
• D. Only for refills

Answer: (B)

Counseling a patient is a pharmacist’s responsibility because it requires interpreting the medication plan for the individual, explaining how to use it, and addressing safety concerns like side effects and interactions. A pharmacy technician supports the process by preparing, labeling, and handling routine tasks under the pharmacist’s supervision, but they do not conduct the patient counseling themselves. So, even with supervision or in other specific scenarios, the counseling session is performed by the pharmacist, not the technician. This is why the correct stance is that a technician cannot counsel a patient.