4811 S Arrowhead Dr, Independence, MO 64055
A pharmacist plays a key role in educating patients on medication. Pharmacists are medicine experts and they educate patients on the usage of medicines, which includes guidance on proper intake, potential side effects, and drug interactions. By providing this education, pharmacists help patients to better understand their treatment. Studies have shown that when patients receive proper medication education from a pharmacist, they are more inclined to experience improved health outcomes and enhanced wellness.
Why is Patient Education Vital?
With the increasing complexity of medications, the role of pharmacists in educating patients about their medicines has become more important than ever. This education is crucial to improve quality care for patients. Once patients gain knowledge of medicines, they properly understand their health condition and take informed decisions for their well-being. Giving knowledge to the patient about medicines is a patient-centered approach that hugely improves health outcomes for patients and greatly benefits doctors and pharmacists too.
Benefits of Patients Education
- Patients stick to their prescribed medication as they are well-informed about the benefits, proper usage and possible side effects of the medicine.
- It increases the ability of patients to recognize changes that may indicate a problem in treatment.
- Knowledge of adverse reactions reduces the likelihood of hospital readmissions and boosts the overall well-being of patients
- It decreases the room for errors for patients while consuming medicines; such as taking the wrong dose or mixing the wrong medications.
- Breakdown of the communication barrier between patient and pharmacist leads to optimized treatment results.
- Education optimizes the level of satisfaction and gives a deeper understanding of the treatment to patients
How do pharmacists educate patients about medication?
Clarify Purpose of Medicine
After the patient receives a prescription the pharmacist ensures to explain the main purpose of the medicine. Understanding purpose is one of the main reasons patients take medicines regularly.
Educate on Adverse Affects
The pharmacist tells the patient all potential adverse effects that could appear after consuming a medication. This information helps patients in understanding if a medicine is working properly. Additionally, this also enlightens patients to take safe measures when a certain adverse effect appears.
Encourage to Read Drug Labels
Pharmacists can help patients understand the importance of reading the label, which includes important information such as dosage, duration of use, potential side effects, and expiration date. By carefully reviewing the label, patients can ensure they are using their medicine as directed and avoid any potential risks associated with incorrect usage.
Help in Generic Drug Selection
Every drug has a generic name but the brand names vary depending on the pharmaceutical company for e.g. acetaminophen is a generic drug with different brand names such as Tylenol, Panadol, etc. A pharmacist educates patients about the generic name of the drug so that patients can identify the medication even if the brand name varies.
Follow up & Address Concerns
The role of pharmacists is major when it is related to scheduling the follow-up appointments to check on the patient’s progress and address any concerns or questions that may arise. Pharmacists are very important in imparting medicinal knowledge to the patient. The role of the pharmacist in educating patients isn’t a new concept. Patient education was always crucial but in today’s time, it holds more value than ever. At Stadium Pharmacy, we provide accurate education and awareness on medicines along with patient consultation, home delivery, medication sync, and a lot more. Our pharmacists primarily focus on customer satisfaction and strongly believe in creating a healthy lifestyle. For a having a seamless healthcare journey call us at 816-356-4600