The document outlines the importance of communication skills for pharmacists in their interactions with patients and healthcare professionals, emphasizing that effective communication can enhance clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. It details various types of communication, such as verbal, written, and non-verbal, and discusses the significance of active listening and building rapport to ensure successful interactions. Furthermore, it highlights the consequences of poor communication, including medication errors and compromised patient care.

1. Communication Skills
By- Ms. A.S.Gadakh
Asst. Professor
PES Modern College of Pharmacy (for Ladies) Moshi

2. INTRODUCTION
• The word communication comes from the Latin word 'communicare', which means to share or to
participate.
• Communication can be defined as the exchange of information, ideas, and knowledge between sender
and receiver .
• In community pharmacy, communication skill is an essential parameter for in order to interact with
patients and other health care professionals.
• A good communication makes the treatment easier and improves.
• Some pharmacists are skilled communicators, comfortable with all types of people while some one
find it difficult to communicate with health care professionals in perceived or actual positions of
authority (e.g., physicians) or with patients from different socioeconomic or cultural backgrounds.
• communication skills can be learned.
• Pharmacists with excellent communication skills are likely to have very satisfying and successful
careers.
• Poor communication between pharmacists and patients may result in an inaccurate patient
medication history and inappropriate therapeutic decisions; may contribute to patient confusion,
disinterest, and non-adherence; and may add to patients' frustration with the health care system.
• Poor communication between pharmacists and physicians, pharmacists and nurses, and pharmacists
and pharmacists may harm patients if important information is not exchanged in an appropriate and
timely manner.

3. Formal communication Informal communication
It is preplanned. It is unplanned.
It follows the officially established chain of
commands.
It is independent of the chain of commands.
It is slow due to the prescribed path. It is fast due to no prescribed path.
It consists mainly of work related messages. It consists of both work related and social messages.
The direction of flow is orderly and systematic. The direction of flow is erratic and unsystematic.
It is easy to fix responsibility for messages. It is not possible to fix responsibility.
It stresses on authority and status. It stresses on interpersonal relations.
It is generally in the written form. It is usually verbal.
It is authentic, rigid and predictable. It is unofficial, flexible and inflexible.
It does not carry rumors. It may carry rumors.
It serves the needs of the organizations It serves the social needs of the members, as well as, the
organization

4. Types of Communication
Verbal Communication :
Face-to-Face: highest information richness.
• Can take advantage of verbal and nonverbal signals.
• Provides for instant feedback.
• Management by wandering around takes advantage of this with informal talks to workers.
• Video Conferences: provide much of this richness.
• Reduce travel costs and meeting times.
Verbal Communication electronically transmitted: has next highest richness.
• Phone conversations, but no visual nonverbal cues.
• Do have tone of voice, sender’s emphasis and quick feedback.

5. Impersonal Written Communication: lowest richness.
• Good for messages to many receivers. Little feedback is expected.
• Newsletters, reports are examples.
Personally Addressed Written Communication:
lower richness than the verbal forms, but still is directed at a given person.
• Personal addressing helps ensure receiver reads it.
• Letters and e-mail are common forms.
• Cannot provide instant feedback to sender but can get feedback later.
• Excellent for complex messages needing follow-up.
• Thus, written communication should be always proper to avoid any further errors.
• For example, if writing in prescription is not clear then it may create the problems
while dispensing of medicines.

6. LISTENING:
• Active listening, however, is perhaps one of the most important types of communication
because if anyone cannot listen to the person sitting across then there is a difficulty to
engage effective communication.
• For example, if any patient asks suggestion to pharmacist about OTC medication or self-
medication and if pharmacist does not listen the actual health condition or symptoms
properly then there may be errors while dispensing of medicines.
VISUAL COMMUNICATION:
• include signs, maps or drawings as well as color or graphic design.
• Visual aids can help a speaker remember important topics, give the audience something
to look at, and generally help convey the message being presented.
• Now a day television and various digital platforms are available to advertise and selling
of products and ideas.

7. INTERACTIONS WITH PROFESSIONALS
• Effective interaction between pharmacists and other healthcare professionals is essential Poor interaction not only leads to frustration and
lack of respect among professions but also may compromise patient care if important information is misunderstood, ineffectively conveyed,
or left out.
• Pharmacists are responsible for insuring that "Right drug to right patient at right time in right dose through right route in right way.
• Pharmacist should make interaction with other health care professionals for effective, safe, and quality medicines and services.
• It is necessary to keep an open and continued dialogue between pharmacist and other health care professionals to promote the optimal use of
drugs .
• These interactions are useful for,
1. Sharing general as well as specific medicine-related information and maintaining a high level of knowledge of pharmacological
treatment.
2. Monitoring and assessing response to pharmacological treatment, progress toward therapeutic goals, and, as necessary, revising the
therapeutic plan in collaboration with pharmacists and other health professionals.
3. Ensuring safe procurement, adequate storage and dispensing of medicines in compliance with the relevant regulations.
4. Providing information to patients about medicine, its purpose, potential interactions and side effects, as well as correct usage and storage.
5. Discussing medicine-related problems
6. Advising patients, when appropriate, on the selection and the use of non-prescription medicines .
7. When self medication is not appropriate then proper advice to patient to consult proper physician for diagnosis and treatment.
8. Overcome the problems of prescription errors, adverse drug reactions, drug-drug interaction etc.

8. INTERACTIONS WITH PATIENT
• Goals of effective and efficient Pharmacist-Patient interactions
• To improve the quality of care
• To improve clinical outcomes
• To improve medication adherence
• To reduce health care cost
• To reduce occurrence of drug therapy problems especially adverse drug reaction
Listening
attentively
Building
rapport
Showing
empathy
Being
polite
Being
assertive
emotional
intelligence

9. VERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS (ONE-TO-ONE, OVER THE TELEPHONE)
• include the) and the ability to interpret respond in a way that encourages continued interaction Communication Skills .
ability to listen, understand, and respond to what people say (active listening
ONE TO ONE COMMUNICATION
• One-to-one communication occurs when one person speaks with or writes to another individual.
• This happens when a care professional meets with a person who has health worries or personal concerns.
Active listening. It is based on the complete focus of the listener on individual.
• In this case center of attention should be an individual.
• Set aside all professional and personal distractions and really focus on the person.
• Prevent or minimize (e.g., beepers, cell phones, consultations).
• Pauses may indicate that the person needs time to recall the information or find the right words or that the person is censoring
the response or preparing to lie.
Observation and Assessment:
• Effective two-way communication requires continual observation and assessment of how the other person is communicating
Body language and gestures provide important clues for the pharmacist, as well as the patient and health care provider.
• Sit or stand at eye level, maintain eye contact, and use a focused body posture to convey interest and attentiveness.
• Sitting or standing at eye level or lower is an on threatening, equalizing body position that facilitates open communication.
• Be physically close enough to the patient, family member or health care professional for clear and comprehensible
communication but do not intrude on the other person's personal space
• Be aware of non-verbal messages.
• Certain gestures and postures provide clues regarding the other person's feelings, although the clues are not always reliable.

10. • Barriers to verbal communications:

11. • 2. Lack of privacy:
• Lack of privacy is a common problem in most health care settings.
• Do not discuss specific or non-specific patient information or health care issues in public areas such as hall ways, walk
ways, elevators, cafeterias, libraries, and parking lots.
• Do not discuss patient-specific information with family or friends without the permission of the patient.
• Few community pharmacies have private counseling areas. Most hospitalized patients have at least roommate, three or more
patients may share some hospital wards.
• The lack of privacy the voicing of personal concerns and the exchange of accurate and complete information difficult for
many patients.
• Ideally, converse with patients and discuss patient-specific information with other health care professionals in privacy is not
available, converse in a space counseling or consultation rooms.
• If physically separate space is no that is as private as possible.
• In community pharmacies, converse with patients in a corner of the pharmacy away from the cash register, drop-off
windows, and pickup windows.
• In hospitals and other institutions, create a sense of privacy by closing the door to the room and pulling curtain around the
bed.
• Ambulatory institutionalized patients may be able to walk to nearby conference rooms, private consultation rooms, or vacant
waiting rooms

12.  OVER THE TELEPHONE
• The telephone is an important communication tool used to communicate with patients patient
family members, physicians, nurses, other pharmacists, and other health care professionals.
• Speak clearly, listen carefully, be organized, and state facts clearly and calmly.
• Those initiating the telephone conversation should identify themselves by name and state the
purpose of the call.
• When answering telephone calls, provide self-identity and ask for the caller's identity.
• Make every effort to deal with the call immediately; avoid putting the other person on hold.
• If you are too busy to speak with the caller at that moment, explain the situation to the caller
immediately and arrange to call back at a mutually convenient time rather than placing the
person on hold.
• Pharmacists sometimes receive telephone calls from angry and upset patients, patient's family
members, nurses, physicians, and other health care professionals.
• The best way to deal with these types of calls is to stay calm, listen to what the person has to
say, clarify the issue, and then handle the problem as professionally as possible.

13.  WRITTEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS
• Pharmacists must be able to accurately and effectively document patient information in the patient medical
record, in pharmacy medication profiles, and in other pharmacy records, and correspond with patients and
other health care professionals.
• The patient medical record is the primary written communication tool for all health care. Professionals.
• Health care professionals in the outpatient setting write progress notes after each patient visit interaction.
• Healthcare professionals who care for patients the inpatient setting write progress notes patient charts.
• Writing a patient record (charting) privilege granted by institution or organization individual health care
professionals.
• Health professionals must adhere to legal, ethical, professional standards when documenting patient
information.
• Black ink photocopied more clearly than colours and is recommended just in case the patient record to
photocopied
• Clear photocopies reduce the misreading, misinterpreting the documented information.
• Clearly error and identifies who changed the record.
• Products that paint over type written hand information are on documents be used by anyone at any time to
change the record.

14. • Every note in the patient medical record contains descriptive heading (e.g., clinical
pharmacy, pharmacokinetics, nutrition support, attending, cardiology consult),
date and time the note was written, patient-specific data and other information,
and the signature and title of the health care professional.
• The content of the note is organized using a SOAP format (Subjective, Objective,
Assessment, and Plan) or a freestyle format.
• The SOAP format is universally recognized structured format, whereas a freestyle
format has no accepted organizational structure.
• Most institutions, outpatient clinics, and individual practices are transitioning from
hand written charts to electronic charts, known as the electronic medical record
(EMR), and electronic health records (EHR). The EMR is the document created
in the clinic or during the hospitalization; whereas the EHR is a longitudinal
record that includes the EMR as well as information from multiple other sources.

15. • Advantages
• 1. It is taken more seriously.
• 2. It provides a record.
• 3. The content of the message can easily be verified afterward.
• 4. It can be transmitted to several people at the same time. The message can be
repeated at regular Intervals.
• 5. It is more suitable when the message is long and a well-considered response is
desired.
• Disadvantages
• 1. It is time consuming and expensive, particularly for sending lengthy places.
• 2. The necessary explanation and clarification cannot be given immediately.
• 3. It does not provide instant response or feedback.
• 4. It lacks personal touch and tends to be rigid.
• 5. It does not carry feelings and emotions

16. BODY LANGUAGE
• Body language is the use of physical behaviour, expressions, and mannerisms to communicate
nonverbally.
• Whether anyone aware of it or not, when anyone interact with others, individual continuously
giving and receiving wordless signals.
• Human beings do not communicate through words whether written or spoken, only.
• There are several other ways as well for them to communicate.
• These include the body movement or gestures, etc.
• It is observed that the bodily movements or the body language is the most popular and effective
means of communication.
• Body language refer to use of body movements in communication and is also knows as kinesics.
• The body language in general parlance is a Communication without any involvements of words.
Example of body language include
• Breathing rate
• Facial expression

17. • Gesture with their arms or hands
• The way they are standing or sitting
• Eye contact (or lack thereof)
• Swallowing or coughing
• Basically body language includes anything they are doing with body besides
speaking.
•
• Features of body language:
• Body language is an art of communication without any use of words.
• Body language is an expression of one feelings and status.
• Body language involves use of eyes, head, face, gestures, bodily movements etc.
• Body language tends to be the most popular means of communication.
• Body language does not require any formal education for being understood.

18. Gesture or Posture Implication
Steeping the hands Confidence
Raising the hand Desire to interrupt
Shifting body position Desire to interrupt
Crossing the arms Shutting out of the other person
Leaning toward the speaker Receptiveness
Raising the hand and then letting
them fall limply
Hopelessness
Frequent throat clearing Disagreement

19. PATIENT INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES
• The pharmacist controls the interaction by controlling the types of questions
asked and the time allowed for patient response.
• pharmacist should fire off a rapid sequence of yes/no questions.
• Questioning skills improve as the pharmacist gains experience interacting with
a variety of patients.
• ask open-ended questions that allow patients to talk freely about their
medications.
• A good initial question for both acute care and chronic care patients is, "What
medications are you currently taking?"
• Use minimal facilitators such as "yes," "uh huh," and "what else?" and provide
nonverbal encouragement by smiling

20. • Give the patient time to answer.
• Some patients can provide well-organized and detailed information.
• Some patients cannot provide any information without specific
targeted questions.
• Some patients have told their stories so many times
• Discuss one topic at a time and avoid asking leading questions,
multiple questions, and yes/no questions.
• Close the patient-pharmacist interaction by providing a final summary
of the information obtained from the patient.
• End the interaction by thanking the patient pleasantly and saying
"good-bye."

21. • Better Patient Interview is based on following criteria
1. Respect patient privacy
3. Recognize face value
4. Move to the patient's field of vision
5. Consider how you look
6. Ask open-ended questions
7. One thing at a time
8. Leave the medical terminology alone
9. Listen
10. Culture matters

22. Important key points in patient interview are as follows.
I. Medication Information
• To obtain or verify a list of the patient's current medications
• Prescription medications. Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.
• Vitamins
• Herbals
• Nutraceuticals /Health supplements.
• Respiratory therapy-related medications (e.g., inhalers).
• Full dosing information should be captured, if possible, for each medication.
This includes
• Name of the medication. Strength.
• Formulations (e.g., extended release such as XI, CD, etc.).
• Dose
• Route
• Frequency.
• Last dose taken.

23. II. Medication History Prompts
• Use both open-ended questions (e.g. "What do you take for your high cholesterol?)
and closed-ended questions (e.g., "Do you take medication for your high
cholesterol?")
• Ask patients about routes of administration other than oral medicines (e.g. "Do you
put any medications on your skin?"). Patients often forget to mention creams,
ointments, lotions, patches, eye drops, ear drops, nebulizers, and inhalers.
• Ask patients about what medications they take for their medical conditions (e.g.
"What do you take for your diabetes?").
• Ask patients about the types of physicians that prescribe medications for them (e.g.
"Does your arthritis doctor prescribe any medications for you?"). Ask patients about
when they take their medications (e.g., time of day, week, month, as needed, etc.).
Patients often forget to mention infrequent dosing regimens, such as monthly.
• Ask patients if their doctor recently started them on any new medicines, stopped
medications they were taking, or made any changes to their medications. .
• Asking patients to describe their medication by colour, size, shape, etc., may help to
determine the dosage strength and formulation. Calling the patient's caregiver or their
community pharmacist may be helpful to determine an exact medication, dosage
strength, and/or directions for use

24. • For inquiring about OTC drugs, additional prompts may include:
• What do you take when you get a headache? What do you take for
allergies?
• Do you take anything to help you fall asleep? What do you take when
you get a cold?
• Do you take anything for heartburn?