LAS VEGAS — To improve compliance in patients taking their prescriptions, supermarket pharmacists need to take a greater interest in the person, and engage in more two-way communication, according to a speaker at the FMI Supermarket Pharmacy Conference here this month.
In a session covering a wide array of issues relating to compliance, Bruce Berger, professor and head of pharmacy care systems, Auburn University, Auburn, Ala., said, “They have to know that the health care provider cares about them.
One of the keys is being empathetic” — the pharmacist needs to reflect back what the patient is telling them, he said. “When faced with ambivalence or resistance, explore don't explain.”
Any attempts to improve adherence must involve the patient in the decision-making process, according to Berger. The patient must be involved in setting goals of treatment that are relevant to the patient improving adherence, he added.
“Motivational interviewing is not about motivating patients, it is about assessing their motivation,” Berger said. Clearer dosing instructions and effective reminders also can help compliance, he said.
Supermarket pharmacists in particular “are really in a great position to help with health behavior change having to do with diet,” Berger told SN after his presentation.
“In any retail setting, we have to change the way we think about what we do. If we think we are going to have a significant impact on adherence and outcomes with a two-minute consultation or putting a leaflet in the bag, it's not going to happen.”