How to Improve the Patient-Pharmacist Relationship
The patient-pharmacist relationship should be more than just dropping off and picking up prescriptions. Back in the day, everyone knew their local pharmacist and, in turn, they knew their patients by name. While that level of professional familiarity still exists in certain areas, there are always ways to personalize and improve the patient-pharmacist relationship to make it more than just a transactional encounter.
Prioritize Clear Communication
When you’re a pharmacist, having extensive medical knowledge is important. However, it is just as important to be a good communicator. Your patients need to feel like they can ask you questions and will receive answers that they can understand. Therefore, a pharmacist looking to improve their workplace relationships should continuously evaluate their communication skills to see if they are truly serving their patients. This could mean hiring bi-lingual employees to more effectively communicate to patients in your area.
Be Present and Check In
Part of why the pharmacist-patient relationship has become so transactional is because most interactions between pharmacists and patients are transactional in nature. If you want to improve your relationship with patients, be more present when they are there and check in with them from time to time to make sure that they aren’t having any issues with their medications. Be sure to ask them how they are doing, and try to place names to faces if you can. Strike up a conversation, or wish them a happy holiday or happy birthday. Just make sure your conversations are about more than their medication.
Be Available
Part of being present is also being available. All too often, pharmacists can become too busy doing other things to interact with their patients. However, there is no chance to build a relationship if you are more preoccupied on the minutiae of work to acknowledge your patient. So, when patients walk in, be sure that you take the time to say hello, answer questions, and offer a friendly smile.
Get Support for Your Pharmacy Career
If you’re looking to become a pharmacist who makes an impact and improves the lives of your patients, then connect with the professionals at HealthCare Support.
A premiere, national staffing resource for the healthcare industry, HealthCare Support helps talented healthcare professionals get to where they want to be in their careers. Our team uses customized staffing solutions to connect you with a vast network of healthcare industry positions.
To take your healthcare career to the next level, call HealthCare Support at 888-219-6285 today.