Foundation Knowledge and Skills

1. Foundation Knowledge and Skills Chapter 8: Communication and Professionalism

2. Learning Outcomes • Describe purpose of communications in pharmacies • List elements of verbal/nonverbal communications • Compare/contrast effective/ineffective communication • Describe techniques for working with special patients • Identify health care professionals you will contact • Describe effective types of behaviors

3. Key Terms • Body language • Closed-ended questions • Communication • Empathy • Health literacy • Message

4. Key Terms • Nonverbal communication • Open-ended questions • Patient-centered care • Receiver • Response • Sender

5. Role of Pharmacy Technician • Helps pharmacist • prescription preparation & distribution • maintaining medication inventories • managing & administering pharmacy operations • Interactions with • pharmacists • pharmacy technicians • other health care professionals • patients/caregivers

6. Effective Communication Skills • Strong communication skills needed • avoid misunderstandings/interpersonal conflicts • Miscommunications may lead to problems with • inventory control • financial & legal liability • licensure maintenance • breakdowns in organizational relationships • potential loss of employment

7. Communication • Goal • recipient hears message deliverer intended • Strategies • Listening • Patient’s Perspective • do not view as objects but as individuals • need to feel care/understanding • may be facing debilitating circumstances

8. Patient-Centered Care • Show active interest in patient’s concerns • attentive to emotional signals • listen well • exhibit sensitivity • anticipate needs • meet expectations

9. Pharmacist’s Perspective • “Pharmaceutical care” • Pharmacist responsible for • ensuring patient will not be harmed • verifying patient understands how to use medication • Develops relationships • with patient • other health care professionals

10. Technician’s Perspective • Technician’s response to circumstances • under his or her control • Goals of communications clear • shape responses & outcomes • Priority is patient’s well-being

11. ✔One of the most important things to remember aboutverbal communication is that “once it has been said, it can’t be taken back.”

12. Communication Basics • Processes • transmitting • receiving • processing (or interpreting) • Areas • verbal • nonverbal • written interpersonal communication

13. Verbal Communication • Most common form of interpersonal communication • Spoken message from sender to recipient • 4 main aspects of verbal communication 1. sender 2. message 3. receiver 4. response

14. Nonverbal Communication • May include • appearance • behavior • body language • physical distance • physical contact • Conveys attitudes & emotions

15. Written Communication • Common written communications in pharmacies • notes/memos • e-mails • shift reports • faxes • reports or documentation forms • entries on want books (inventory control) • Inaccuracies, errors, inappropriate content, unprofessional attitudes or remarks not okay

16. The Patient Encounter • Community & ambulatory care pharmacy settings • new prescription or refill is requested, • patient profile information is gathered • medication is being picked up • technician answers telephone • Responds to questions • pricing • insurance • product location

17. Hospital Encounters • Communications • more often health care professionals rather than patients • Effective communication skills essential • Scope of technician responsibilities • new opportunities for direct patient communication

18. Purpose of Encounter • Purpose needs to be understood by each individual • Goal • Solve problem • urgency of issue must be assessed • proper questions asked

19. Method of Encounter • Face-to-Face Encounters • Telephone Encounters • Internet • Other Electronic Communication Methods

20. Gathering & Delivering Info • Approach • Asking the Question • Closed-ended questions • Open-ended questions • Listening • Responding • Empathy • Verification of Understanding • Honesty and Ethics • Confidentiality

21. Med Information & Counseling • Scope of practice • Questions that should be directed to pharmacist • dosages, effects, administration of medication • “What questions do you have for the pharmacist about your medication • over-the-counter (OTC) • complementary & alternative medication (CAM) • Guided by state laws, pharmacy practice acts, organizational policies/procedures

22. Special Patient Populations • Angry or Hostile Patients • Patients with Terminal Health Conditions • Patients with Mental Illness • Older Adult Patients • Patients with Low Health Literacy

23. Cultural Sensitivity • Culturally competent • adapt the care • consistent with patient’s cultural, traditional, societal needs & beliefs • Avoid • mistaken belief • labeling • stereotyping

24. Strategies • Open-ended questions • Professional interpreters • look at patient while speaking, not at interpreter • Differences within certain ethnic populations • Direct eye contact may be • valued in some cultures • sign of disrespect in others

25. Cultures • Some cultures may show minimal emotion • Less responsive to touch by health care professional • Acceptable personal space • Ask about preferences • Do NOT make general assumptions about patient behaviors & beliefs based on a cultural or ethnic identification

26. Communicating with Team • Teamwork • collaboration • cooperation • accomplish a common goal • Working relationship between team members • essential elements • trust, understanding, respect, friendship