ANALYSIS OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

Analysis of Written Communication in Pharmacy Hannah Faye de Luna Northeastern University

ANALYSIS OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

Like most healthcare providers, pharmacists have a responsibility to ensure the patient's safety and be a guide on their road to wellness. Although they might spend very little time with patients in comparison to physicians and nurses, they still play a vital role in the patient's recovery. When someone thinks of a pharmacist, he often imagines them behind the counter at a CVS or Rite-Aid, working with technicians, typing away on a computer, and filling prescriptions. Retail pharmacists must be very meticulous in their work. They must interpret the prescriber's instructions correctly and verify that the patient's medication do not interact with other drugs they are taking or with any of their conditions. However, the field of pharmacy is more than just the retail setting. While the majority of pharmacists work in retail, there are also other career options available such as institutional, compounding, industry, and academia. Regardless of his or her chosen field, a pharmacist's primary duty remains the same: to ensure the patient's safety and aid their recovery through optimal drug outcomes. This is achieved through effective communication between pharmacists, patients, and healthcare professionals that reflect the profession's commitment to the patient's well-being. In addition, in order to remain a helpful resource to patients and medical practitioners, pharmacists must stay up-to-date with new advancements, technologies, policies, and issues in the field of medicine. There are several organizations, such as the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, that help pharmacists fulfill this goal. They maintain a comprehensive website, which hosts articles, journals, and forums, and act as an invaluable resource to pharmacists and students. In the field of pharmacy, communication ranges from brief and concise to extremely detailed. Since I am strongly considering a career in retail and hospital pharmacy, it is important to be aware and understanding of the needs of the different audiences these positions cater to. The pharmacist must be able to provide explanations using simple terminology while also

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maintaining knowledge of pharmaceutical jargon. When counseling patients, the pharmacist must be able to explain the drug and its indication, so they understand and adhere to their medication. On the other hand, reading drug monographs requires knowledge of scientific terms, and relaying this information to the patient means that the pharmacist must have the ability to translate pharmaceutical terminology into layman's terms. In addition, pharmacists must also be intentional in their communication. For example, retail pharmacists ensure that the labels placed in medication vials are accurate and easy to understand, often using less than 100 characters. Instructing the patient to use one suppository once a day may be confusing to someone who is not familiar with the medication; therefore, the label must say, Unwrap and insert one suppository rectally once a day. Using abbreviations which are easily misread, such as teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp), can cause significant problems in dosing and compromise the patient's safety. Other fields of pharmacy utilize different types of written communication. Clinical and hospital pharmacists maintain the patient's chart along with nurses and physicians, so a significant part of their day involves communicating with other healthcare professionals. Physicians often use the pharmacist as a resource when they have questions about medications usually regarding doses, drug interactions, therapy recommendations, or potential side effects. This especially applies to patients who have complicated conditions, so these messages must be comprehensive and detailed since they may be referred to in the future. Industry pharmacists, on the other hand, work with drug companies to produce new drugs or to improve existing ones. This involves countless hours of research and drug development, often yielding detailed technical reports. Therefore, their audience are not the general population, but other professionals such as scientists, engineers, and fellow pharmacists. Industry pharmacists may also work in the

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marketing level as a medical service representative, so they are in communication with physicians. They inform them about new medications, their mechanism of action, potency, and stability. Academic pharmacists, those who work in universities and school of pharmacies, are usually involved in pharmaceutical research. Like industry pharmacists, their reports generally contain technical jargon, and are meant to be read by pharmacologists. However, they are also essential in educating health science students, so they must teach using simple terms, and at the same time expose students to the terminology they will encounter later in their careers. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, or ASHP, is one of the largest and most well-known pharmacy organization in the United States comprising of many divisions, including a chapter for pharmacy students at Northeastern. The ASHP hosts two large conferences every year: the Midyear meeting and the Annual meeting. Pharmacists and pharmacy students throughout the nation attend these meetings to network with other professionals, become familiar with pharmacy residency programs, and attend educational sessions usually regarding the field of clinical pharmacy and emerging medical technologies (2012 ASHP Midyear). There is even a separate subdomain within the ASHP website dedicated to the upcoming Midyear conference. Its main page highlights this year's keynote speaker Bill Clinton, reasons why one should attend Midyear, and announcements regarding the conference. The website is also divided into several categories where pharmacists, students, and technicians can learn more about the event. One of the pages is a schedule of the sessions that one can attend. It is clear that ASHP intends for its members to have an extensive learning experience since the topics covered include clinical issues, technology, and leadership. A significant part of the site is also dedicated to persuading new members to attend. One of the documents is a Justification Toolkit which details how employees can persuade their

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supervisors to allow them to attend Midyear. According to the toolkit, pharmacists can earn over 30 hours of Continuing Education credit by attending the conference (Justification Toolkit). In analyzing this subdomain, it is obvious that the ASHP recognizes its members' dedication to staying up-to-date with new developments in pharmacy to better assist their patients and physicians. However, from the language used within the Justification Toolkit, the organization can certainly be aggressive about encouraging members to attend. The website as a whole is a valuable resource for pharmacists to stay up-to-date regarding issues such as drug shortages, changes in policy, and news about tobacco cessation initiatives and flu vaccines. The information on the website appears to be produced by numerous experienced pharmacists or authors who are well-versed in the field of pharmacy. The Practice & Policy category of the site contains a Resource Center where readers can find a variety of articles, podcasts, and videos on topics ranging from anticoagulation and emerging sciences to public relations. Pharmacists can submit some of these articles for CE credit, again highlighting the educational focus of the organization. The website is mostly targeted towards licensed pharmacists who are currently practicing in clinical settings, and the ASHP certainly does an excellent job of providing resources to help these pharmacists care for their patients. For example, there is a comprehensive document on their website that details how pharmacists can prevent medication errors by eliminating their most common causes and communicating with doctors on developing a therapeutic plan for the patient. This page and other documents on the website are well-cited, with information from different medical journals (ASHP Guidelines, 1993). Like the majority of the articles on the site, its tone is informative and instructive. Its authors are not argumentative. Rather, they present facts to help their readers form their own opinion. The website overall appears to be unbiased when it comes to issues within pharmacy.

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There are no advertisements on the pages or the sides, except for a Midyear announcement on the main page. The citations, the instructive tone of the website as a whole, and its professional appearance convinces me that it is a reliable source of information. As evidenced by its website, it is clear that the ASHP understands the needs and values held by the pharmacy community. Without knowledge of new medications, indications recently approved by the FDA, and drug recalls, pharmacists cannot effectively serve their patients nor can they become a resource to nurses and physicians. The variety of topics available also indicates that the organization recognizes the different careers within pharmacy. There is a forum within their website where users can log in and communicate with other ASHP members through discussion posts. This message board fosters a sense of community within the field, where professionals and students can connect with each other. The casual tone in the forum encourages members to discuss issues and share their knowledge. Despite the differences in their chosen careers, the website serves as a hub where pharmacists can share information, not only with each other but also with students pursuing a career in pharmacy.

NOTE: I believe this essay is relevant to my portfolio because it demonstrates that I can recognize the tone and audience of a particular piece of writing. This skill will help me in critically evaluating the sources that I will encounter not only in this course, but also later in my career.

ANALYSIS OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

References ASHP. (1993). ASHP guidelines on preventing medication errors in hospitals. In Medication misadventures guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.ashp.org/DocLibrary/ BestPractices/MedMisGdlHosp.aspx ASHP. (2012). 2012 ASHP midyear meeting and exhibition. Retrieved from http://connect.ashp. org/midyear2012/Home/ ASHP. (2012). Justification Toolkit. Retrieved from http://www.ashp.org/DocLibrary/Midyear12/ MCM12-Justification-Toolkit.aspx ASHP. (2012). What we do. Retrieved from http://www.ashp.org/menu/AboutUs/ WhatWeDo.aspx Career opportunities for pharmacists. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.pharmacy.purdue.edu/ students/prospective/CareerOpts.php#MCOs