"This is a well-written and easy-to-read book, not only for pharmacy technicians already in practice seeking advancement, but also for pharmacy students who will begin intern positions."
—Patrick McDonnell, PharmD
Temple University School of Pharmacy

"This all around guide to effective counseling features useful tips and suggestions for improving patient care through effective communication, and questions for reflection at the end of each chapter."
—Matthew Perri, PhD
University of Georgia College of Pharmacy
American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 2006; 70 (1) Article 12

Doody’s Book Review Service Rating: ***

Communication Skills for Pharmacists: Building Relationships, Improving Patient Care, 3rd edition, includes new material that will help student pharmacists and practicing pharmacists develop the communication skills they need for providing high-quality care.

Key Features
• 15 chapters from the previous edition cover key communication skills for pharmacists, such as listening and empathic responding, supportive communication, persuasive communication, assertiveness, and conflict management; provide help for patients in accepting the behavior changes needed to manage their illness; and explore ways to become culturally competent to provide quality care for all patients.
• A new chapter tells how to communicate about sensitive topics that patients may find difficult to discuss because of embarrassment, cultural beliefs, or fear of social stigma.
• Another new chapter describes the way limited literacy or limited health literacy can affect patient outcomes and how pharmacists can identify and help overcome such limitations in their patients.
• The expanded chapter on managing change emphasizes the use of motivational interviewing.
• Dozens of examples share good and bad pharmacist–patient and pharmacist–physician dialogues.
• Guidelines tell how to contact a physician and then build rapport and discuss drug-related problems with him or her.
• Questions for reflection appear at the end of each chapter.

Table of Contents
• Caring, Covenants, Codes, and Commitment
• Developing the Relationship
• Choosing to See Patients as People
• Listening and Empathic Responding
• Patient Counseling
• Managing the Angry Patient
• Assertiveness
• Conflict Management
• Helping Patients with Change
• Interacting with Physicians
• Supportive Communication
• Choosing an Appropriate Response
• Persuasive Communication
• Immediacy: How Word Choice and Nonverbal Cues Affect the Relationship
• Cultural Competence
• Communicating on Sensitive Issues
• Communicating with Patients Who Have Literacy Limitations