Concisely explain how you would overcome barriers in communication (environmental, personal, patient, administrative, financial, time).

I strongly believe a good communication is important in ensuring quality healthcare delivery to the patients. There are many factors that can be barrier in communication but how would I overcome the barriers?

A non conducive environment such as at the dispensing counter which sometimes can be noisy affect my interaction with the patients. I would prefer to have an open counter and a private room as the counter acts as a barrier which prevent me from having a more personal and private communication with the patients.

My personal factor can also hinder me from having an effective communication with the patients such as lack of information on the latest medication. Learning does not stop upon graduation but it should be a lifelong learning.

Besides, I must be sensitive with the patients I am dealing with such as the patient’s religion, education background, and language spoken. I should communicate using simple and jargon free language understood by the patients.

Administrative factor can influence communication such as failing to have proper Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). SOP serves as guidelines for pharmacies to ensure smooth service delivery to the patients. Improper SOP leads to miscommunication with other co-workers.

In addition, I must be aware of the patient’s financial state before making any recommendation. A poor patient might not be interested to listen to my recommendation on certain medication.

Lastly, a sufficient time should be allocated when dealing with the patients. A rush explanation can lead to certain important information being missed out.


250 words