Communication skills are important to have in any field and even more so in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. Dealing with medical prescriptions and addressing customers on a regular basis requires communication skills of the highest level.
At Medix College, we focus on both verbal and written communication skills through our Pharmacy Assistant Diploma Program. We help to prepare you to play an integral role in a healthcare team that provides pharmaceutical services to the community. Read on to learn why communication skills are important for a pharmacy assistant career.
Communication is Key to Customer Service After Your Pharmacy Assistant Training
As a pharmacy assistant, you will communicate with colleagues, dispensary staff, customers and other healthcare providers regularly. Having excellent communication skills helps establish solid relationships with everyone you interact with on a daily basis–particularly when providing customer care. Healthcare providers will always look out for their patients and the same is expected of a pharmacy. It will be up to you and your team, alongside a registered pharmacist, to provide a positive customer experience–and that all depends on possessing excellent communication skills. When you complete the pharmacy assistant training at Medix College, you’ll be prepared to fill prescriptions and handle sale transactions, which are duties that require you to apply your communication skills when interacting with customers.
Communication Skills Are Important for Teamwork
You will learn after your pharmacy assistant course that having excellent communication skills is a great asset in your career, as you establish relationships with other professionals in the workplace. As a pharmacy assistant, you will have to work with pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and other healthcare professionals–which will require you to receive and provide important instructions, or delegate tasks as needed throughout the day. Everyone on the floor should have a clear understanding of what is being communicated. Having excellent communication skills will help you communicate effectively with your colleagues and improve the efficiency of the work environment by avoiding any miscommunication when it comes to ordering prescriptions and providing special medication instructions.
Communication Skills Support Customer Safety
Being able to communicate effectively is an important quality that customers look for in pharmacy assistants, as they navigate the healthcare system to acquire what they need for their wellbeing. As a trained pharmacy assistant, you will have an understanding of medical and pharmaceutical terminology, prescription interpretation, various dosage forms, therapeutic classifications of drugs, as well as an understanding of human anatomy and physiology.
This allows you to assess if anything prescribed to the customer may have adverse effects. In that case, you may have to act accordingly by addressing your concerns with the customer and the prescribing physician in a clear manner. Without strong communication skills, you may not be able to relay your concerns clearly, resulting in delays and risks to the safety of the customer.
At Medix College, you will graduate with the communication skills required to work in retail pharmacies, hospitals, home health care facilities, pharmaceutical manufacturers, community pharmacies, long-term care facilities and public health service clinics.
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