The program "basic nutrition and counseling skills" is designed for pharmacists and pharmacy staff with an intermediate degree or higher in relevant specialties. It began on 25/11, offered in both in-person and online formats. The course aims to enhance nutritional knowledge and improve assessment and counseling skills for customers, especially children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
Through this program, Doppelherz Vietnam is fully sponsoring the tuition fees for 70 participants, enabling pharmacists and pharmacy staff to update their knowledge and advance their professional capabilities.
According to the organizers, the course comprises 48 sessions, including 9 practical sessions. It focuses on fundamental nutritional knowledge, food safety, energy requirements, the role of various nutrient groups, and the characteristics of health protection foods.
Participants will learn how to assess nutritional status using anthropometric methods, read nutrition labels, apply appropriate dietary recommendations, and explore the VNeNUTRITION application.
Beyond foundational knowledge, the program emphasizes improving participants' communication skills, helping them identify customer needs and provide tailored advice. Specific content on nutrition for children, pregnant women, and the elderly is structured into separate lessons, allowing participants to apply knowledge to real-world scenarios.
Notably, the course guides learners to recognize situations where customers should be referred to medical facilities for examination and professional assessment, rather than solely focusing on product recommendations.
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A pharmacist at a pharmacy advising a customer. Photo: Doppelherz
The practical component includes case studies, group discussions, and problem-solving exercises. Participants must meet study time requirements and pass theoretical and oral examinations to receive certification.
According to a representative from Doppelherz Vietnam, the collaboration with the National Institute of Nutrition to implement this program aims to support pharmacists and pharmacy staff in enhancing their professional knowledge and counseling skills. This initiative contributes to improving the quality of nutrition counseling and healthcare for consumers.
In practice, pharmacy counselors need to understand not only the ingredients and benefits of nutrients but also how to assess needs and explain information relevant to each customer group. These are also core topics of the training program.
Doppelherz is a brand under Queisser Pharma (Germany), with over 100 years of development history and a presence in more than 60 countries. In Vietnam, Mastertran is the brand's distributor and directly contracted with the National Institute of Nutrition to implement the course.
Yen Chi
