Pharmacy Practice

Effective communication 227Ross, P.M., Bower, P.J. and Sibbald, B.S. (1994) Practice nurses: characteristics,workload and training needs. British Journal of General Practice, 44, 15–18.Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (1997) From Compliance toConcordance. Achieving Shared Goals in Medicine Taking. Royal PharmaceuticalSociety of Great Britain and Merck Sharp & Dohme, London.Tardy, C. and Dindia, K. (1997) Self-disclosure. In: O.Hargie (Ed.), The Handbook ofCommunication Skills, Routledge, London, pp. 213–235.Tully, M.P., Hassell, K. and Noyce, P.R. (1997) Advice-giving in community pharmaciesin the UK. Journal of Health Service Research and Policy, 2, 38–50.Vrij, A. (1999) Interviewing to detect deception. In: A.Memon and R. Bull (Eds.)Handbook of the Psychology of Interviewing, Wiley, Chichester, pp. 317–326.SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONSQuestion 1: Why should pharmacists employ a facilitative questioning style wheninterviewing patients, rather than a restrictive style employing closed or leadingquestions?Question 2: What are the two core purposes of nonverbal communication?Question 3: How can pharmacists encourage patients to communicate personalinformation about themselves (self-disclosure)?Question 4: What strategies might be employed by pharmacists in order to persuadepatients to follow their advice?KEY POINTS FOR ANSWERSQuestion 1: A facilitative style, using open and non-leading questions, ensures thatthe patient remains central to the consultation. A restrictive style is not sensitive tothe needs of the patient and by employing closed or leading questions limits theinformation that may be obtained.Question 2:• Communicative nonverbal gestures can enhance verbal messages• Relational nonverbal communication, such as facial expressions, expresses howindividuals feel about each otherQuestion 3:• Establish an appropriate relationship with the patient• Have a professional appearance