.Chandan Batra
2.2 B Essay
INTRODUCTION:-
Effective communication strategies in NZ pharmacy settings is important to understand patient’s concerns and needs in order to provide them best solution to their problems. This also enables to:-
‘ Make good rapport and relationship with customers.
‘ Gain confidence of patients.
‘ Sharing of information in simple words to provide best care to patients.
‘ Minimise risk of unwanted adverse and side effects associated with medicines.
‘ Early treatment of patients due to better understanding on drug frequency and timing.
So, this essay summarised different strategies which can be adopt for better communication in NZ pharmaceutical sector.
VERBAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES:-
Verbal means conversation between two by words and mostly used in form of patient counselling. In Pharmacy, it’s important to explain effectively your words to patient but more important to understand their concerns because if you are not having good speaking and listening skills you are not able to respond to their issues appropriately. For example:- If the patients come to pharmacy, you decided to let the patient go without giving proper information related to medication and counselling due to fear that you will not able to respond them effectively because of your communications which can leads to unwanted side and adverse effects so we can understand how verbal communications are important.
NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES:-
Non-verbal communication involves body language, eye contact, how well you greet patient, tone of voice. Along with good interactive skills, it’s also important to see in patient eyes while talking to them with welcoming smile, ask them politely about the issues they have and try to solve them by making them comfortable with yourself. Studies reveals when pharmacist and pharmacy technician involves patient in two way interaction, patient feel more comfortable in asking questions and listening to suggestions which resulted into better adherence of patients with medications, lesser side effects. So, if your involvement is less while interaction with patient then there is more chance you will make unnecessary mistakes which can be dangerous.
CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE COMMUNICATION:-
New Zealand is a multi-cultural country with people from all parts of world. So, there is a mix of people in which some can speak English but not fluently where most of them do not speak and understand English as it is not their first language. Providing them proper medication and counselling is a big challenge in NZ pharmacy sector. So, pharmacy technicians should try different ways in order to understand them like while counselling them arrange them translator so that they can describe better about their medications and health conditions. Talk to them slowly using simple language. Show empathy to them in order to make them comfortable while counselling. Never dispense them any medication without understanding their problem because that may lead to serious consequences.
IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION WITH OTHER PHARMACY STAFF AND HEALTH PROFESSIONAL:-
Pharmacies always work in a team, there is always need of talking with other pharmacy staff members whether there is a need of their help in dispensing prescriptions, asking for solution for any problem. Extent of interaction is more in hospital pharmacies as they are very busy due to more number of patients, prescriptions so, there is more need of interaction with pharmacist, nurses, mid wives in order to supply medicine. Sometimes there is a need of answer phone call got from physician or query them related to patient’s medications In that way we can understand the importance of communication. If we lack in that means we are not recognising their instructions properly and dispensing them wrong medications. However which can even lead serious outcomes and even lead to death of the patient. Effective communication with other pharmacy staff and healthcare professional is very much important.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS VITAL FOR PHARMACY TECHNICIAN IN NZ SECTOR:-
Most of the pharmacy works like dispensing of medicines, counting of tablets, making of labels, suggestions to patients is mainly done by Pharmacy technicians if there is any inaccuracy in any one of them can lead to wrong medication to patient, overdose or lower dose of drug, wrong advice to them may increase chances of adverse and side effects may even lead to several harmful situations for patient. It’s very much important that Pharmacy technicians should have good speaking, listening skills even good accuracy with detailing so that PT have abilities to perform tasks appropriately even there is hurry he must recheck every prescriptions, dispensed medicines .There is no space of mistakes while working in pharmacy because giving them wrong medicines and not suggest them properly means playing with the life of patients.
COMMUNICATION BARRIER THAT EXISTS IN NZ HEALTHCARE SECTOR:-
There are communication barriers because NZ is immigrant country and people here are from all parts of world, most of them do not have English as their first language. Sometimes, patients having issues with their health conditions but they are not able to describe their symptoms properly due to communication barrier so beside giving wrong medication without understanding them proper, Pharmacy technicians should make some extra effort to overcome this barrier like ask them politely, show them empathy, so that they feel comfortable then give them right medicine with best care.PT may not feel frustrated even he could not understand other people language or ascent, always greet them with smile and never show discrimination towards them and always treat all patients equally.
CONCLUSION:-
In the nutshell, it is concluded that Communication is very much mandatory and big challenge in New Zealand Pharmaceutical sector for both Pharmacist and pharmacy technicians whether it comes to counselling of patients, working with other staff members, answer phone calls from healthcare providers because one miscommunication can lead to so much serious consequences so we need to understand it’s importance and work on overcoming this barrier by making our communication skills strong and putting some more effort in making non English people more comfortable. By that means we can understand patient issues, solve their problems and provide them right service that they deserve. Moreover, New Zealand has people from all parts of world, so we have to respect them and treat them equally does not matter even if they are having communication barrier.
REFERENCES:-
Beardsley, R. S., Kimberlin, C. L., & Tindall, W. N. (Eds.). (2012). Communication skills in pharmacy practice: a practical guide for students and practitioners. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Thompson, J. E., & Davidow, L. W. (2004). A practical guide to contemporary pharmacy practice (Vol. 1). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.