Pharmacist checklist: quick, practical checks you can use today

Want a simple, usable checklist you can follow every shift? This page gives concrete steps to verify prescriptions, assess online orders, counsel patients, and monitor therapy changes. Use these items as a quick run-through before you release medication or advise a patient.

Verification and paperwork

Confirm the prescription: check prescriber details, legibility, date, drug name, strength, dose form, directions, and refill limits. If anything is missing or looks odd, call the prescriber—don’t guess. Match the patient’s name and date of birth to the profile and insurance information to avoid mix-ups.

Check for interactions and duplicate therapy. Run the patient’s meds through your interaction tool, and ask about OTCs, supplements, and herbal products. Watch for duplicates of the same drug class or drugs that boost levels (CYP inhibitors) or increase risk (QT-prolonging combos).

Online pharmacy and ordering checks

When a patient asks about buying meds online, confirm the site: does it require a valid prescription, have contact info with a local phone number, show a licensed pharmacist, and display regulatory seals? Red flags include contactless transactions, prices that are unrealistically low, no prescription requirement, and shipping from unknown countries.

Advise patients on safety: order from pharmacies with clear return and privacy policies, check customer reviews, and prefer sites that provide lot numbers and expiry dates. For high-risk drugs (e.g., methotrexate, oxcarbazepine, Escitalopram), insist on a verified prescription and documented counseling before dispensing.

Labeling and storage: confirm active ingredient names and strengths—watch look-alike/sound-alike names. Use tall-man lettering if available. Ensure labels include clear dosing times, missed-dose instructions, storage conditions, and warnings for allergic reactions or driving impairment.

Counseling and monitoring: give patients plain-language advice on common and serious side effects. For meds that need labs (thyroid switches, hydroxychloroquine changes, immunosuppressants), outline when tests should happen and what symptoms to watch for. Ask patients to report rashes, breathing trouble, new mood changes, or signs of infection immediately.

Compounding and special fills: verify compounding formulas, concentrations, and stability data. Confirm beyond-use dates and storage. For topical or tailored doses, provide clear measuring tools and written instructions.

Documentation and follow-up: note counseling points in the record, record lot numbers for new dispensings, and schedule follow-up calls or reminders for lab monitoring. If a medication change was made, document dose conversions and the rationale so the next provider sees the plan.

Use this checklist as part of your routine. It keeps patients safer, reduces errors, and builds trust. Want a printable version or a pharmacy-ready poster? I can draft one you can download and post at the counseling counter.