Clinical Decision-Making for Management of Sore Throat – Commonwealth Pharmacists Association Academy

Welcome to the Pharmacist-Led Care in Action: Clinical Decision-Making for Management of Sore Throat course.

Sore throat is a common presentation in community pharmacies, so it is important that pharmacists understand how to effectively manage consultations of patients with a sore throat.

What you can expect in this case study:

Throughout this course, you will progress through multiple videos.

Please download the workbook by clicking the button below before commencing, as this will be used to complete various activities and write notes. It is also a resource you can return to to refresh your knowledge and understanding.

So that you can write notes directly onto the digital workbook, please ensure you open the PDF file using Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not already have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your device, you can download this programme for FREE here.

Once you have done this, please begin by watching the following video from Ph. Ng Yi Ling, community pharmacist and Coordinator of the Antimicrobial Resistance Preventative Care Framework (PCF) at the Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS).

Preventative Care Framework

MPS has introduced a PCF which aims to upskill community pharmacists in various services, including consultations for patients with sore throat. Watch the video below to learn more about this framework.

Statement from the Malaysian Pharmacists Society

While physical throat examination is an emerging competency in community pharmacy, we actively advocate for its routine adoption; pharmacists are strongly encouraged to undergo targeted clinical training and consult the referenced resources to ensure full competency and safe implementation.

Learning objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Conduct a structured consultation for patients presenting with a sore throat, using a recognised communication framework.
Apply an evidence-based sore throat algorithm to assess symptoms and make treatment or referral decisions.
Interpret clinical features and red flags in patient scenarios to distinguish between likely viral and bacterial causes.
Recommend appropriate pharmacological and self-care options for sore throat management and provide tailored safety netting advice.
Discuss the principles of appropriate documentation of consultations.

Note

The case study in this course is a fictional scenario developed solely for educational and training purposes. It does not reflect a real patient, and any resemblance to actual individuals is purely coincidental.

Published: June 2026

Review date: June 2027

Please note that some devices require the page zoom to be set to 90% to see the content correctly. If this is applicable, please change your browser zoom settings now.