Consultation Skills Assessment (CSA)

Also known as a medication related consultation framework (MRCF),  the consultation skills assessment (CSA) is a reflective tool that can be used to support the development of your consultation behaviours and skills, and particularly helps you to develop and demonstrate patient and pharmaceutical care.

This tool provides a structured approach to reviewing a patient’s medicines to identify any problems they may have, including how the patient adheres to their treatment. this assessment can take between 10-30 minutes (this will depend on the patient in question).

When can it be used?

There are many formal and informal opportunities where this tool can be of use. These include consulting with patients:

• On admission, during their stay or upon discharge from hospital
• Day care cases (such as patients attending for renal dialysis units)
• Out-patient clinics (such as anti-coagulant clinics)
• Medicines Use Review service (MUR, in England and Wales), New Medicines Service (NMS, in England) and Discharge Medication Review (DMR) service (in Wales) and the Chronic Medication Service (in Scotland)
• Managing minor ailments
• Supply of emergency hormonal contraception (EHC)
• Medication reviews with patients in GP surgeries
• Specialised pharmacist-led clinics (such as hypertension or heart failure clinics)
• Pharmacists using their independent prescribing skills.

How it should work?

• The consultation skills assessment can be used as a reflective tool or as a peer assessment tool.