Influencing Prescribing Through Effective Communication Skills
Today's patient is exposed to an inordinate amount of direct-to consumer advertising and health information. Moreover, prescribers are the routine targets of aggressive marketing by pharmaceutical companies and sales representatives. Although many physicians and decision makers profess that these external factors have only a modest impact on prescribing behavior, it is reasonable to assume that they have at least a subconscious influence on prescribing; otherwise, pharmaceutical companies would not continue to finance them.
Amidst this struggle between health care provider autonomy and pharmaceutical company-influenced prescribing exist clinical pharmacy services. Traditionally, the hallmark of clinical pharmacy practice has been patient care and medication management. However, the rapid adoption of evidence-based medicine and the sticker shock associated with ever-rising pharmacy budgets have prompted pharmacists to assume a stronger role in ensuring appropriate prescribing. Trained, qualified, and accessible, the pharmacist is ideally situated to filter out the noise of pharmaceutical industry marketing and encourage appropriate prescribing.
Tremendous variability exists in pharmacists' ability to influence, however, most notably because of differences in communication skills. While clinical proficiency is standardized through accredited general and specialized pharmacy practice residencies and can be demonstrated by attainment of board certification, little training is directed toward improving pharmacist communication with health care providers and patients. With this evolution of clinical pharmacy services, it has become essential that all pharmacists effectively communicate their evidence-based knowledge, not merely demonstrate it through certification; good communication will enable pharmacists to have a substantial positive impact on patients' quality of life, population based health outcomes, pharmacist prescriber relationships, and pharmacy cost containment.
Today's patient is exposed to an inordinate amount of direct-to consumer advertising and health information. Moreover, prescribers are the routine targets of aggressive marketing by pharmaceutical companies and sales representatives. Although many physicians and decision makers profess that these external factors have only a modest impact on prescribing behavior, it is reasonable to assume that they have at least a subconscious influence on prescribing; otherwise, pharmaceutical companies would not continue to finance them.
Amidst this struggle between health care provider autonomy and pharmaceutical company-influenced prescribing exist clinical pharmacy services. Traditionally, the hallmark of clinical pharmacy practice has been patient care and medication management. However, the rapid adoption of evidence-based medicine and the sticker shock associated with ever-rising pharmacy budgets have prompted pharmacists to assume a stronger role in ensuring appropriate prescribing. Trained, qualified, and accessible, the pharmacist is ideally situated to filter out the noise of pharmaceutical industry marketing and encourage appropriate prescribing.
Tremendous variability exists in pharmacists' ability to influence, however, most notably because of differences in communication skills. While clinical proficiency is standardized through accredited general and specialized pharmacy practice residencies and can be demonstrated by attainment of board certification, little training is directed toward improving pharmacist communication with health care providers and patients. With this evolution of clinical pharmacy services, it has become essential that all pharmacists effectively communicate their evidence-based knowledge, not merely demonstrate it through certification; good communication will enable pharmacists to have a substantial positive impact on patients' quality of life, population based health outcomes, pharmacist prescriber relationships, and pharmacy cost containment.
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