Just found this, good read...
Social Skills in Pharmacy
A big part of pharmacy, which unfortunately a lot of pharmacist lack, are social skills. Pharmacies are communal places; grannies, granddads, mothers, fathers love to go to the pharmacy to get their medicines and advice. As a pharmacist you are the epicentre of this, to listen to the woes and tribulations of people, whilst offering them good medical advice. This is all well and true, if you own your own pharmacy and have known the community for nigh on 20 years but how, as a pre-reg, can you integrate effectively?
The following article is dedicated to this.
There are loads of books out there which can help you become a more effective communicator, but none of which have been written in the context of a pharmacist, let alone a pharmacy pre-reg. So where to begin? Defining your role as a pre-reg is the most fundamental thing you can do when you start. You are pretty much slave labour. That may sound a little harsh but it is not far from the truth. The pharmacy does not need to pay you for the time that you work there, the government does, so in essence you are a bonus (or a hindrance) to the pharmacy.
In general, most pharmacies have had a different pre-reg every year, but some are "newbies", who have never had one. Newbies are difficult as they usually do not have the infrastructure in place to ensure that the pre-reg gets adequate training. However, If you work at a newbie, do not despair, as if you take the lead and stick up for what you are entitled to, you should be fine.
Most of the skills listed here are probably innate to you, you almost certainly have learned over time that it is a good idea to smile often and keep good eye contact. Even so, even if you are the friendliest, greatest pre-reg in the world, it is a good idea to read through the following points as you will see them a bit more objectively and hopefully realize their worth.
- "You Cannot Win an Argument" - ever hear the term "the customer is always right"?. People never want to be told that they are wrong, no matter who they are. This is not to say you always have to be passive but keep it in mind when you are discussing with a patient. Ask yourself, how much does it mean to you to win this argument? Is this worth more than creating a good impression and giving good customer service?
- Name Calling - if you have a prescription for Mrs. Sophia Alburkurcky... Is it Sophia?... Mrs. Alburkurcky?... Mrs.A? Well there is no right answer to this, the safest option is always to address someone by their full title ie Mrs. Alburkurcky, however you will find that sometimes, with women, their title is sometimes wrong ie a Mrs becomes a Ms (due to her becoming a widow), so it maybe easier to call them Sophia. In general if the person is the same age as you or younger address them by their first name if they are older address them by their full title. Some people refute this and only stick with last names, but to build rapport with a customer first names can be really useful.
- In the words of Dale Carnegie "Remember that a person's name is, to him or her, the sweetest and most important sound in any language." Try to remember patients names, you do not have to ask them as it is written on the prescription. But never the less when the person comes in next and you say "Good morning Mr.X" without a prescription you will be received with a guaranteed smile.
- If You Must Find Fault, Do it Cautiously - do not criticize a patient at the beginning of a statement, always state a pleasantry before a criticism. Saying "we really appreciate you coming today", "with all due respect" or "thank you for bringing that to our attention, I assure you it will not happen again" can make the world of difference. Starting with a criticism can also set the tone for the entire conversation and it can be difficult to get people to do what you want if they are in a negative mode.
- No One Likes to Take Orders - Go to your room and do your home work! Eat your greens! Bringing back any memories? We have all been told what to do by an authoritative figure and 99% of the time we never liked it. The same will happen in pharmacy, but you will be the one giving orders. There is an unspoken importance heirachy in the pharmacy it usually goes like this... Pharmacist>Technician>Pharmacy Assistant> Counter Assistant> Pre-reg. You may ask why is the pre-reg last, this is usually due to ranking by experience and age. Although you have been to university for the past 4 years at the beginning of your pre-reg you usually are the "dogs body". As you progress through the year this should improve. No matter where you are in this hierarchy you will still need to give orders. When doing so always remain polite saying please and thank you and also structure the request so it does not sound like you are giving an order. For instance instead of saying "go and take out the rubbish" you could say "I think it would be a good idea if we got rid of the trash" or "could you do me a favour and..."
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