Transcript Chapter 13

Chapter 13
Human Relations
and Communications
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Personal Service in the
Contemporary Pharmacy
• In the contemporary pharmacy . . .
– The pharmacist is more than just a
dispenser of drugs.
– The pharmacy technician is more than
just a cash register operator and stock
person.
• A new and welcomed emphasis on
personal service has returned to the
practice of pharmacy.
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Personal Service in the
Contemporary Pharmacy
Personal attention makes customers
feel that the pharmacy is a pleasant
place to do
business.
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Personal Service in the
Contemporary Pharmacy
Pharmacy technicians should remember the
primary rule of merchandising:
At all times you are representing your company to
the patient or customer. Remember that in a
pharmacy you are, in a legal sense, an agent of
your employer and entering into a contract to
provide care to the patient. Your employer must
“answer” for all of your actions.
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Characteristics of the
Pharmacy Technician
• A successful pharmacy technician
must possess a wide range of skills,
knowledge, and aptitudes.
• Along with these, the pharmacy
technician must also display
– A professional attitude
– Communication skills
– Problem-solving skills
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Characteristics of the
Pharmacy Technician
• Attitude
• Verbal and nonverbal communication
• Problem solving
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Attitude
• Attitude is very important in customer
relations.
• The pharmacy technician should
maintain a positive attitude, even
when the day is hectic or when he or
she is not feeling up to par.
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Terms to Remember
attitude
the emotional stance or disposition that
a worker adopts toward his or her job
duties, customers, employer, and
coworkers
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Attitude
• A positive attitude also means taking
pride in your workplace.
• The pharmacy technician should offer
feedback on improving pharmacy
operations.
• Being an invaluable asset to the
overall operation can often be helpful
in career advancement.
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Attitude
• Always display a professional
appearance:
– Customers expect a high degree of
cleanliness and professionalism.
– The following are important in conveying
a professional atmosphere:
• Proper attire
• Grooming
• Personal hygiene
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Attitude
• A pharmacy technician must be
observant of customer needs.
• With many things happening at once,
it is often necessary to triage
customer needs.
• Acknowledge
customers with
“I’ll be right with you”
and “Thank you for
waiting.”
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Terms to Remember
triage
the assessment by the pharmacist of an
illness or symptom; outcome may be to
recommend an OTC product, or refer
patient to a physician or emergency
room
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Attitude
• It is important to demonstrate a
professional empathy for the patient.
• Patients may be experience any number of
difficult situations; a caring attitude can go
a long way.
• The pharmacy technician is often the
bearer of bad news. It is important to take
the time to explain why a prescription could
not be filled or why insurance does not
cover a particular medication.
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Attitude
• The pharmacy technician should be
on the lookout for customers who look
confused or are trying to find a
particular product.
• The pharmacy technician can triage
customer requests:
– Handling those pertaining to product
location, availability, and price
– Referring to the pharmacist those that
require professional judgment
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Attitude
• Making a personal connection with
customers is important, especially in a
community pharmacy.
• Greeting customers by name makes a big
difference.
• Eye contact is especially important to older
customers who may rely on informal lipreading to compensate for a hearing
deficiency.
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Verbal and Nonverbal
Communication
• A pharmacy technician needs good
communication skills when receiving
prescriptions and assisting customers.
• Verbal communication skills require
practice.
• Asking patients open-ended questions as
opposed to closed-ended questions is
always more helpful in eliciting information.
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Terms to Remember
closed-ended question
a question that requires a yes-or-no
answer
open-ended question
a question that requires a descriptive
answer, not merely yes or no
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Verbal and Nonverbal
Communication
Nonverbal communication is important
also:
– Facial expressions
– Eye contact
– Body position
– Tone of voice
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Terms to Remember
nonverbal communication
communication without words ― through
facial expression, body contact, body
position, and tone of voice
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Verbal and Nonverbal
Communication
Listening is a vital skill for the pharmacy
technician:
– Maintain eye contact with the speaker.
– Use nonverbal signals to indicate that you are
genuinely interested.
– Ask questions to clarify what has been said.
– Repeat key points of the conversation to
confirm that you have correctly understood
what has been said.
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Verbal and Nonverbal
Communication
Safety Note
All patient medical information is
confidential and protected by law.
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Verbal and Nonverbal
Communication
Use courteous speech . . .
– When interacting in person with
customers
– When talking on the telephone with other
healthcare professionals
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Verbal and Nonverbal
Communication
Be sensitive to gender, cultural, and
language differences:
– Become familiar with the cultural
backgrounds of your customers.
– You will be able
to better serve
your customers.
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Verbal and Nonverbal
Communication
• Be understanding when obtaining
information from customers with mental or
physical disabilities.
• For customers without drug insurance
coverage . . .
– Offer lower-cost alternatives.
– Provide information on free clinics or
community health centers if possible.
– Do not treat those without insurance differently
from other customers.
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Problem Solving
Problem solving is an important asset
for the pharmacy technician:
– Dealing with difficult patients
– Staying focused at work when home or
school issues threaten to interfere
– Dealing with work disputes through
rational, calm, and private discussions
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Problem Solving
• Discrimination and harassment are
unethical and illegal.
• You do not have to put up with offcolor or crude jokes.
• Conversely, you must not create an
environment that is uncomfortable for
your coworkers.
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Terms to Remember
policy and procedure manual
a book outlining activities in the
pharmacy, defining the roles of
individuals and listing guidelines
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Terms to Remember
discrimination
preferential treatment or mistreatment
harassment
mistreatment, whether sexual or
otherwise
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Other Aspects of
Professionalism
•
•
•
•
Professional behavior
Teamwork
Interprofessionalism
Do not dispense medical or
pharmaceutical advice
• Emergency preparedness
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Professional Behavior
• Professional behavior includes adherence
to laws and ethical guidelines.
• It also includes a commitment to decorum
and etiquette.
• Show respect to your healthcare
colleagues.
• If you are in doubt as to expected behavior,
watch and learn from a suitable role model.
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Teamwork
• Pharmacy technicians and
pharmacists must work together as a
cohesive team.
• Show respect
for coworkers.
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Teamwork
• Using common courtesies can make
a difference.
• Do not allow personal differences to
interfere in the workplace.
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Interprofessionalism
• Always use the title “Doctor” where
appropriate.
• Keep your interactions formal until
you are
requested
to do
otherwise.
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Do Not Dispense Medical
or Pharmaceutical Advice
• A pharmacy technician should not
advise customers about medications
and their use (including OTC drugs
and diet supplements).
• Refer to the pharmacist any questions
involving patient assessment or the
proper use and effects of
medications.
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Emergency Preparedness
• Pharmacy personnel may be called
into action during and emergency or
disaster.
• Pharmacies can help plan specific
responses to emergency situations.
• Roles and functions of pharmacy and
other professionals are validated
through a credentialing process.
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Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act
• Patient identifiers
• Patient confidentiality
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Terms to Remember
Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA)
a comprehensive federal law passed in
1996 to protect all patient-identifiable
medical information
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Patient Identifiers
• HIPAA requires pharmacies to
maintain the privacy of protected
health information (PHI).
• Pharmacy staff must remove or
conceal from view any patient
identifiers:
– Shred all patient-related information
before disposal.
– Black out patient information on used
prescription vials.
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Terms to Remember
protected health information (PHI)
medical information that is protected by
HIPAA, such as medical diagnoses,
medication profiles, and results of
laboratory tests
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Terms to Remember
patient identifiers
any demographic information that can
identify the patient, such as name,
address, phone number, Social Security
number, or medical identification
number
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Patient Confidentiality
• All healthcare professionals must
understand the importance of maintaining
patient confidentiality.
• Some patient information needs to be
shared with healthcare professionals for
insurance reimbursement or for drug
studies.
• All pharmacies must have a written policy
on patient confidentiality.
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Patient Confidentiality
• Electronic transmission of data is
common in the pharmacy:
– Improves revenue
– Contains cost
– Provides better patient care
• Efficiency of transmitting information
electronically must be balanced with
the need to maintain data security.
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Patient Confidentiality
• The pharmacy technician should be
sensitive and respectful of customer
privacy.
• Display a professional, no-nonsense
attitude toward matters that might be
embarrassing for the customer.
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Patient Confidentiality
Matters of medication history discussed
in the pharmacy require the same
amount of privacy
as in the doctor’s
office.
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Patient Confidentiality
Be careful to keep your tone of voice
low so as not to broadcast sensitive
information to nearby customers.
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Patient Confidentiality
• Pharmacies are required to have a
policy defining patient privacy rights.
• Patients may be asked to sign a
notice of privacy practices to show
that they have read and understand
the pharmacy’s policies.
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