Author: Christopher Juozaitis BSc (Pharm) RPh, CGP, Chief Clinical Officer Adhererx Inc., Co-Owner Howe Sound Pharmacy

Be Inquisitive. Be Empathetic.

These two simple directives are at the core of our medication management interactions with patients. In fact, when we have third and fourth year pharmacy students at Howe Sound Pharmacy, our preceptors help guide them with these two ideas in mind.

The ability to help patients adhere to their medications is based on respect and an understanding of the patients wants and needs. We know that 75% of patient non-adherence is intentional! That’s right, almost eight out of 10 cases of non-adherence are conscious choices by patients to avoid taking their chronic medications.

The Trouble with “Minny”

One of our dear patients, let’s call her Minny, had a mild stroke last year. Understandably she was shocked and upset after she returned from the hospital. Against her initial reaction, I gently urged Minny to let us blister pack her new discharge medications. She held the belief, that only the old and sick need to have their medications in blister packs.

An Introduction to the AdhereRx The 9 Power Probes© of patient assessment and communication

The 9 Power Probes© is one of many ready-to-use clinical skills included in the AdhereRx Boot Camp. Participants apply them in real-world simulations and arrive back at their home pharmacies ready to include them in daily practice. These tools can guide better patient interactions every day.

As pharmacists, the most critical skill we can develop is to build deep, lasting relationships with our patients, especially as we head into the new era of ‘skills over pills’. Overall, it is a pharmacist’s job to uncover and address each patient’s drug therapy problems (DTPs), win her or his trust and then collaboratively co-create care plans to which they are willing and able to adhere. Now ask yourself, how often have you heard these comments around your pharmacy?