Real-Life Math -- Solution
People who are ill often can have difficulty remembering all the
medical details presented to them by pharmacists, even if they're
explained in simplified terms.
"When you give people five important
things to remember, they may only remember two when they get home," says Rosemary
Killeen, a pharmacist and the editor of a pharmacy journal.
This
is where it's helpful for a pharmacist to be understanding and look at the
situation from the patient's point of view.
"When people are stressed,
or sick, or concerned, they may not be able to retain all the information
well. We have to be patient and try to reinforce it so they get all the messages
they need," Killeen says.
After you tell your patient to take the
medicine on an empty stomach, you ask her to repeat your instructions. One
way for a pharmacist to check for understanding is to ask the person to repeat
the instructions aloud. If a language barrier exists, or if a patient is
hard of hearing, pharmacists can enlist the help of the patient's family members
to convey the information.
Pictures on medicine bottles can reinforce
the verbal instructions. Pharmacists also can provide patients with written
information about the drugs, and they can call patients later at home to make
sure they're taking the medicines properly.