Community Pharmacist Preceptor Education Program - Library

Open-Ended Questions. Table 8 compares open andclosed questions. Note how the open-ended questionsare likely to encourage the patient to provide moreinformation than the closed-ended questions, which canbe answered with a “yes” or “no” response. For example,instead of asking, “Do you have any questions about yourmedications?” student pharmacists can be coached to ask,“What questions do you have about your medications?”Student pharmacists should be trained to use suchquestions during both routine patient counseling and moreadvanced patient care services.Active Listening. Pharmacists are more likely to obtaincomprehensive information from the patient and convey asense of empathy when they listen well. Active listeningrequires student pharmacists to pay careful attention towhat patients have to say. Student pharmacists shouldbe trained to allow patients to completely verbalize theirthoughts, rather than assuming the patient’s response, orinterrupting them when they pause.Reflecting Statements. Responding to patients’concerns by rephrasing what they just said is anothermechanism that helps ensure that the information wascorrectly understood, and allows the patient to elaboratewhen necessary. For example, if the patient says, “I’m justtired of taking all these drugs for my diabetes because theydon’t seem to fix anything,” the pharmacist could respond bysaying, “It sounds like managing diabetes, which is a chroniccondition, is frustrating for you.” This reflecting statementallows the patient an opportunity to expand on specificconcerns. Appropriate levels of courtesy, assertiveness, andsupport of the patient’s behaviors should be explored.Empathy. A genuine attitude of caring and abilityto convey empathy is important for any health careprofessional. Empathy is the ability to understand andbe sensitive to another’s thoughts and feelings, withoutexperiencing the person’s position. Preceptors should workwith student pharmacists to help cultivate an attitude ofempathy and explore strategies for communicating thisattitude to patients.Nonverbal Communication. There are many differentaspects of nonverbal communication, including tone ofvoice, facial expressions, and body language, such as headposition, use of the hands, placement of arms and legs, andgestures. Appropriate eye contact is also important.Many student pharmacists have limited experiencetalking to patients as a health care provider and may benervous or shy about taking on this role. Encourage studentpharmacists to use language, postures, and expressionsthat convey attentiveness and empathy. One methodthat allows student pharmacists to see how they mightappear to patients is to practice communication skills byinterviewing themselves in the mirror. Preceptors alsocan involve student pharmacists in role-playing exercisesto support development of communication skills. Askstudent pharmacists to pretend that you are a patient andto explain the appropriate use of a medication to you, andanticipate what questions you as the patient might have.Preceptors should strive to provide ample feedbackto student pharmacists on their performance ofcommunication skills. Preceptors should help studentTABLE 8. Open vs Closed QuestionsClosed-Ended QuestionOpen-Ended QuestionDid you have any side effects?What side effects did you have?Do you remember to take your medication every day?About how many times do you remember to take yourmedication in a 2-week period?Do you take any dietary supplements?What dietary supplements do you take?Do you have any other medical problems?What other medical problems do you have?Do you feel comfortable with your medication schedule?How do you feel about your medication schedule?Have you tried anything else?What else have you tried?Did I answer your question?What other information may I help you with?18 APhA and NACDS Foundation