Pharmacist Relationship In Health Care

PHARMACIST-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP:

Optimal medication management requires an effective relationship between the patient and health care professional. As pharmacists move from the traditional dispensing role to become more actively involved in patient care, factors influencing their relationship with patients need to be identified. A better understanding of these factors will facilitate more effective relationships.

Pharmacists' professional roles have transformed to include provision of information, education, and pharmaceutical care services. These changes have resulted in a focus on collaborative pharmacist-patient professional relationships, in which pharmacists and patients both have roles and responsibilities.

PATIENT ADHERENCE:

Appropriate

Reinforce information the doctor has probably given to the patient.

11. Don’t sound harried when you speak to patients by phone because it will be stressful for the patient.

12. Never comment about a patient’s disease state or make jokes about it.

13. Have a sense of humanity and empathy and treat every patient with respect.

EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIP:

The patient-pharmacist relationship is a human bond that develops out of what is done for the patient and the manner in which it is done. The professional relationship, consisting primarily of feelings, might be considered a medium in which health care takes place. Because feelings play such a powerful part in health care, it is necessary that the health care professional approach the patient with a broader perspective than that of a scientist . To relate effectively to patients, the pharmacist needs, at the very minimum, to: (a) cultivate the quality of compassion (b) deal with the personal and emotional aspects of illness (c) be an effective communicator.

CULTIVATING COMPASSION

Compassion is made up of two components:

• The first is the feeling of sharing the unfavourable condition of another human

A pharmacist must behave in a way that justifies this trust and maintains the reputation of his profession.

A pharmacist must:

• Act with honesty and integrity to maintain public trust and confidence in his profession

• Not abuse his professional position or exploit the vulnerability or lack of knowledge of others

• Avoid conflicts of interest and declare any personal or professional interests he has. Do not ask for or accept gifts, rewards or hospitality that may affect, or be seen to affect, his professional judgement

• Be accurate and impartial when you teach and when you provide or publish information. Do not mislead or make claims that you have no evidence for or cannot justify

• Meet accepted standards of personal and professional conduct

7.Take responsibility for working practices

Working in a team is an important part of professional practice and relies on respect, co-operation and communication between colleagues