INTRODUCTION:

Communication is the process by which two or more people exchange their views and ideas, thoughts, facts, feelings, which each gains common understanding. The word communication derived from Latin word communis meaning common. Communication is an essential means of ensuring effective and improved medication¹.

Communication is very important aspect part of life, without it no one survives. Verbal and non-verbal communication part starts from birth to death. Communication is not deals with only for transmission of information and knowledge.

Effective interpersonal communication skill between health care providers and patients most significant factors for improving patient satisfaction and overall health outcome. The communication process between health personnel and their patients is extremely important to understand. Effective transfer of information requires a solid foundation in communication skills².

The various important factor which going affect on the medication errors, dose administration, missing the dose. This paper discusses the communication issues in the healthcare environment and how various errors can be avoided through effective communication. The impact of videotape review on pharmacy students’ self-assessments of communication skills was recently studied by Mort and Hansen³. The major communication issues in healthcare environment include language barriers, the medium of communication, physical health, and social health. As a pharmacist tends to use technical language at the workplace because they consider the tone of communication to be simply understand them.

Due to the importance to communication pharmacist patient communication is essential and valuable in improving therapeutic outcomes. There is to be need for designing strategies for effective communication and teamwork among pharmacist, they consequently influence on the quality life patients and disease outcomes. Communication between pharmacist and patient having great importance in achieving patient’s desired satisfaction and improving medication and treatment outcome. Efficient, motivating, purposeful communication is one of the most important tools in pharmacist and patients counseling. Poor communication or lack of good communication at pharmacist and patient level. This phenomenon in medical practice turns out to be one of the most common causes of medication error, Dosing error and adverse drug reactions.

Medication errors are common and occur at daily routine life. The communication process between health personnel and their patients is extremely important to understand. Effective transfer of information requires a solid foundation in communication skills. Good communication skills between pharmacist and patients seen to have many positive effects on health outcome and on patient satisfaction. They are also a necessary tool in the dialogue with the patient to identify problems with issues such as drug use, effects of the treatment, interactions, and side effects.

Effect of good communication in between the patient and pharmacist:

1. Enhance the patient experience

2. Reduce complaints

3. Increase pharmacist self-confidence

4. Professional standing

5. Career prospects and job satisfaction

6. Reduce stress

This indicates that effective communication directly impacts on the health and satisfaction of patients. It indicates that most barriers to effective communication are associated with the characteristics of healthcare providers and patients. Communication, if well used, helps in the provision of clear, accurate, consistent and easy nursing service, guaranteeing both the satisfaction of the patients and the protection of the nurses, the whole process takes place in a context consisting of physical realm, social and cultural values and psychological state.

Different types of communication:

1. Listening – There will be nothing but assimilation and transfer of information to the patients.

2. Speaking – In case of this way via symbols and signs.

3. Reading – Reading will complex skill it requires decoding and comprehension

4. Writing – In these aspects the information is transferred in the form of written format such as report form, letter form, memos, emails. The basically the two types of communication primary level that is again divided structural organizations which involve formal and informal communication. On the based on direction way of communication involves that are upward and downward communication. That is again divided on the basis of oral, written, Gesture.

The communication which occurs in the forms of massages, symbols and actions, Numbers, Pictures, also it involves the speaking, drawing, acting, writing,

Objective of communication between the pharmacist and patient:

In case of objective communication, we make aware the patient with simple communication current disease condition and situation. Pharmacist guide them and motivate them to find the solution on disease and ill condition also they going guide the patient regarding the plans to take medications and avoid the medication errors. The basic objective gives emphasis on the different programmes like patient education counseling camps, also focus on capability and leadership’s development.

1. Make people aware of their conditions and situations disease condition

2. Motivate the patients find the solution to their problems of health and disease.

3. To guide them prepare long term or short term plan for the disease healing.

4. Educate them by taking part different programs and schemes like hasya club, Cycleing club, they recover from tension, daily exercise happens.

5. Develop in to them own capability and confidence recover from acute and chronic disease.

Table No. 1 Different dimensions of communication skills

Pharmacist Doctor:

To gain cultural competence:

Providing blood pressure readings, diabetes risk assessments, and vision screenings at health fairs or camps in parks and hospitals allows pharmacy students to practice their communication skills with, and develop understanding of, people of different cultures and backgrounds. Providing direct patient care at community service events and developing knowledge of foreign languages may help pharmacy students learn how to effectively communicate with patients.

To further develop drug information and patient counseling skills:

One of the best ways to practice drug information skills is by reviewing patient medications at “brown bag” events. These events encourage patients to bring a list of their medications for pharmacy students and preceptors to review. Pharmacy students can gain experience with finding drug interactions, assessing patient adherence, and counseling on medications. At flu clinics, students can gain experience in counseling patients on the importance of staying up-to-date with vaccinations

To find a faculty mentor:

Besides teaching pharmacy students in classrooms, faculty members often practice and precept at sites in the community. By learning from and observing faculty members who may attend community service events, pharmacy students can develop mentor– mentee relationships. That connection can turn into an opportunity to conduct research or receive a glowing letter of recommendation.

Patients self assessment:

Self assessment appears to improve by using constructive dialogue and required information highlighting patient compliance for patients as person, besides that skill and fixed knowledge patients as object. Various interventions which promote the patient and pharmacist relationship. He should give proper guidance during with keeping smile on face during his self assessment.

Pharmacist attitude towards the patient:

The pharmacist should behave in a proper manner and also discuss with them in simple manner, keep better approach entails expected benefits, common side effects, and benefit of interventions. Cost involved, time involved in medication and drug therapy.

CONCLUSION:

Routine communication with variety of patients wills primary concern in healthcare today. The way of communication in which the doctors, Patients, Physicians or therapist convey the massage regarding the care, relation between patient and pharmacist affected by the different factor which include the patient’s healthcare literacy, the amount of information provided clear vision how much the individuals listen to each other, and tone of voice. In daily routine the contact and communication in between the different types of patients, in this basically the important way that is better communication is achieve better patient’s compliance.

REFERENCES:

1. Olsson, E., Ingman, P., Ahmed, B., and Kälvemark Sporrong, S. (2014). Pharmacist- patient communication in Swedish community pharmacies. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 10(1): 149–155.

2. Solet, D. J., Norvell, J. M., Rutan, G. H., and Frankel, R. M. (2005). Lost in translation: challenges and opportunities in physician-to-physician communication during patient handoffs. Academic Medicine, 80(12): 1094–1099.

3. Mort, J. R., and Hansen, D. J. (2010). First-year pharmacy students’ self-assessment of communication skills and the impact of video review., The American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 74(5): 78.

Received on 14.01.2022 Modified on 20.02.2022

Asian J. Pharm. Res. 2022; 12(2):176-178.

DOI: 10.52711/2231-5691.2022.00028