Table 2.

Best practices for Pharmacist Provided Patient-Centered Communication ^a.

Goal	Pharmacist Responsibility	Communication Skills
Foster the Relationship	Build rapport Appear open Demonstrate respect Demonstrate caring and commitment Acknowledge feelings and emotions	Greet patient warmly and appropriately Maintain eye contact Show interest Listen actively Express empathy
Gather Information	Determine purpose of encounter Discover biomedical perspective (disease) Understand patient perspective (illness)	Ask open-ended questions Allow patient to complete responses Clarify and summarize information Explore impact of illness on patient
Provide Information	Identify patient informational needs Share information Overcome health literacy barriers	Speak plainly and avoid jargon Use “Patient-Oriented Evidence that Matters” (POEMs) Encourage questions Check for understanding
Share Decision-Making	Identify patient goals Outline collaborative treatment plan	Explore patient preferences Identify barriers to treatment choices Negotiate agreement
Enable Treatment Success	Assess the patient’s capacity for self-management Arrange for needed support Advocate for and assist patient with health system	Summarize treatment plan Elicit patient understanding Discuss follow-up

^a Adapted from King A, Hoppe RB. Best practice for patient-centered communication: A narrative review. JGME. 2013;5(3):385–393.