Counselling patients communication skills

To sell the opportunity effectively, the entrepreneur must be able to quickly communicate the value proposition associated with the product, service, or business. In entrepreneurship circles, this is referred to as the elevator pitch. The elevator pitch refers to the ability to pitch the concept to a potential investor in the amount of time it takes to get on an elevator and then get off. The idea behind this is for the entrepreneur to be ready to pitch the concept clearly and concisely at any time. This skill actually fits in well for pharmacists because it is similar to how pharmacists often must counsel patients and make drug therapy recommendations to prescribers. One method of getting additional training in doing this effectively is the book, How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less (Frank, 1986). Three key questions that may be helpful to address are... 

In addition to information being supplied to the patient in a printed format (i.e. via the medicine s label and via the patient information leaflet), information is often needed in the form of verbal instructions and demonstration. It is sometimes the role of the pharmacist or pharmacy technician to verbally counsel the patient or the patient s carer and demonstrate the use of the medication. It is therefore vital that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians develop effective communication skills. 

Patient education and medication counseling are an integral part of the healthcare process. The two-way flow of information in these processes is important to improve the quality of care and patient outcomes, and to build patient-practitioner relationships. This article discusses how, through the processes of patient education and medication counseling, pharmacists can ensure that patients take their medications correctly and achieve the most beneficial outcomes of medication use. A variety of methods of communication and counseling skills are presented. 

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