Top tips pharmacists can increase patient engagement

There are several ways pharmacists can increase patient engagement. These include educating consumers on healthier behaviours and developing customized patient work plans. They can also promote their knowledge, experience, and accessibility. These strategies will help pharmacists connect with patients on a personal level, fostering loyalty and fostering healthy behaviours.

Helping older patients age in place

The inclusion of pharmacists in geriatric care teams has many benefits for older patients. Specifically, pharmacists’ expertise in medication management, patient education, and medication reconciliation improve the quality of care. It also enables nurses to focus on other duties. Moreover, pharmacists are trained to work with high-risk patients.

Most older people take several prescription drugs. The best way to use these medications safely and effectively is to discuss different medicines’ risks and side effects with a pharmacist. Older patients should keep a list of their medications so that their pharmacist can review the list and look for possible interactions. Moreover, pharmacists can identify lower-cost alternatives and explore opportunities for substitution.

Another way to help older patients age is to provide medication safety education. These resources include a guide to medication safety, managing common drug interactions, and managing adverse reactions. 

Holding health events

Health events are an excellent way for pharmacists to engage patients. They can be held at places with high traffic, such as grocery stores or senior living facilities. Health events also provide an excellent opportunity for pharmacy students to learn more about the profession. Lastly, health events can help pharmacists promote medication therapy management sessions. These sessions are particularly valuable for older patients who are on multiple medications.

Pharmacists can make a significant impact in the community. Their already high level of dedication to health and care means they are uniquely positioned to educate patients. They can host events such as health fairs, general health programs, or even monthly vaccination clinics.

By conducting community health events, pharmacists can connect community resources. A community care clinic can also improve access to clinical and social services. For example, a community pharmacist can provide preventive health screenings for community members or refer them to behavioural change providers. If a patient has a chronic condition, a pharmacist can help them to make the appropriate referrals. A pharmacist can help the community to make the best use of their resources.

Customizing support tools

Today’s health care consumers are eager to receive information about their health and have a say in their treatment plans. Yet healthcare providers are struggling to meet these demands. While many providers are leery of patient engagement tools, it’s essential to understand that they can be effective as long as they appeal to patients. Luckily, there are several options available to pharmacists.

Ideally, a pharmacy’s care management strategy should include the integration of patient engagement as an essential part of its overall strategy. The best approach depends on the size and resources of the organization and its goals. Pharmacy staff should assess their current capabilities and identify opportunities to get started. Once they have determined this, they can move forward with integrating patient engagement into the care management process. They should then identify ways to increase patient engagement and personalize the patient experience.

Behavioural economics

The field of behavioural economics focuses on the economics of individual decisions. The key to this approach is understanding how our decisions are affected by emotions and cognitive quirks. 

Behavioural economics also offers a means to change health care practice by encouraging patients to adopt healthy behaviours. For example, it can help prevent illness by motivating people to take exercise or eat healthier foods. It can also encourage providers to adopt new models of care. Many physicians still stick with conventional practices despite evidence of better ways.

One of the most important things to consider when applying behavioural economics to health care is the concept of loss aversion. People are generally more averse to losing than gaining, but if properly tapped, this principle can help improve health care outcomes. Understanding the nuances of this psychology is essential, as it can be an important tool in your quest to improve patient engagement.

Another way to increase patient engagement is to use non-monetary rewards. Non-monetary rewards can include a free manicure, for example. Other rewards can include patient-identified rewards, such as testimonials from patients.

Technology

Technology helps pharmacists increase patient engagement by sharing information and collecting valuable patient data. Using technology to help increase patient engagement will help pharmacists build rapport with patients and strengthen the patient-pharmacy relationship.

With technology, pharmacists can automate outreach to new patients, facilitate the collection of missing insurance information, and communicate with patient assistance programs. In addition, they can schedule reminders and other messages that will be sent directly to patients’ mobile devices. Ultimately, retailmedia.com.au/product/retail-pharmacy-assistants-subscription/ improves the overall patient experience and outcome.

With the use of technology, pharmacists can fill prescriptions faster. Technology has become integral to healthcare and can help pharmacists improve their service without adding too much extra work. Whether using big data, automation, or electronic health records, pharmacists should embrace the advancements technology provides to optimize their workflows. Integrating technology into your practice can improve patient satisfaction, increase employee efficiency, and reduce errors.