Communications Skills in the Pharmacy Profession: A Cross Sectional Survey of UK Registered Pharmacists and Pharmacy Educators

Abstract

Objectives: To determine UK pharmacists’ experiences of their current communication skills and undergraduate training and to identify communication skills training and teaching at UK schools of pharmacy. Methods: Two surveys were developed. The first survey was sent to UK practicing pharmacists examining their current communication skills and interest in behavioural counselling techniques such as Motivational Interviewing (MI). A second survey was sent to all UK Schools of Pharmacy investigating communication skills training and teaching. Results: In the first survey pharmacists reported low satisfaction with their undergraduate communication skills training. A convenience sample of 109 UK pharmacists responded to the first survey. Forty-four per cent (n = 48) of the respondents stated that they continued their professional development in communication skills after an undergraduate degree. Seventy (65.4%) were not familiar with behavioural counselling techniques such as MI. The most common patient consultation delivered by pharmacists was around adherence to medicine 22.4% (n = 50). Pharmacists expressed a need for further training in clinical areas such as mental health 25.7% (n = 80). Results from the second survey to pharmacy schools showed that Schools of Pharmacy response rate was 60% (18/30). All 18 schools stated that they teach health behaviour change consultation skills and this is mostly delivered by a clinical pharmacist. Teaching communication skills was mostly delivered as role play with peers (n = 17). Conclusion: This first national survey of communication skills training in Schools of Pharmacy shows that newer graduates have received more communication training compared to older graduates, however pharmacists’ respondents still felt that they were under prepared for behaviour change patient consultations. MI training would be welcomed by those. Practice Implications: Structured courses in communication skills, including behavioural change techniques, are needed for practicing UK pharmacists.

Perceptions of UK Community Pharmacists on Current Consultation Skills and Motivational Interviewing as a Consultation Approach: A Qualitative Study

“…On a scale where one was not prepared and five was fully prepared, the mean rating was 3 with over half of the participants developing their consultation skills after registration and the majority of pharmacists expressing a need for further training. A recent UK survey of 109 practicing community pharmacists by the authors of this paper [44] also showed that more than half of the participants in the survey who were taught consultation skills at an undergraduate level reported that they were not satisfied with their undergraduate training; ranking their consultation skills training as below 5 on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 been very satisfied.…”

UK Dietitians’ views on communication skills for behaviour change: A 10 year follow‐up survey

“…This may explain why those qualified more recently report a much higher level of dedicated training in CSBC. A cross‐sectional survey of UK pharmacists ( n = 109) found similar results, with more than half reporting not receiving CSBC training as undergraduates or being dissatisfied with the training they had received, 44 whereas more recently qualified staff reported more training and greater satisfaction. These results suggest that pharmacy educators are also developing educational approaches to support development of CSBC and delivery of patient‐centred care.…”

Supporting medicines management for older people at care transitions – a theory-based analysis of a systematic review of 24 interventions

“…Whilst the UK pharmacy curriculum includes relevant learning outcomes related to the demonstration of effective consultation skills and working with patients to decide a course of action [ 59 ], it is not at all clear that this means defining problems from the patient’s perspective (as true counselling would) or identifying personal goals (as motivational interviewing would). Whilst there is evidence to support the effectiveness of motivational interviewing for medicines management [ 60 ] and this has influenced modern undergraduate curricula; it remains unclear if these skills are widespread or utilised effectively without further professional development [ 61 , 62 ]. Many studies mentioned healthcare professional training but they did not describe the content and depth of this training [ 30 , 31 , 39 , 41 , 44 , 45 , 48 ].…”