New course paving the way for improved Medication Communication

The news that Uppsala University was launching Sweden's first course in Medication Communication aroused great interest among both students and professional pharmacists. Applications arrived from all parts of the country and four weeks into the premiere, success is a fact. On this day, the first participants are on campus to practice patient interactions in Practicum's realistic pharmacy and healthcare environments.

“In my work, I meet patients on a daily basis and this course is giving me several valuable tools to handle situations that may arise. Above all, I am improving my understanding of my own reactions and how they may affect the patient. This is something that I already experience professional benefit from and I am recommending my colleagues to take the course,” says Nadin Dhaif, Clinical pharmacist at Region Gävleborg.

The course responds directly to the wishes of pharmacy students to increase practical communication training, but also to the many alumni who report on, after graduation, realizing the importance of quickly establishing a good dialogue with drug users. Now they meet for five weeks to put both patient's and pharmacist's perspectives at the center in theory and practice.

“We have designed the course to give the participants both personal wow-experiences and professional development. Now we have left the starting blocks and everything is running smoothly. Each participant shows great commitment and the entire group contributes to discussions and tasks. One of them just stated that she is already “listening more now than thinking about what I am going to say next” which is probably the finest grade we can get,” say Senior Lecturers Karin Svensberg and Elin Lehnbom.

The exercises blend familiar elements with innovative approaches. The latter includes meeting with an AI patient programmed to put the students in highly realistic situations and after the conversation generate feedback with concrete tips. Another favorite is Mentalisation, where a psychologist helps the participants understand their own role in the conversation.

“I am studying the Master of Science Programme in Pharmacy and a course focusing on customer communication is exactly what I have been looking for. Here we translate theoretical knowledge into role-playing and practical exercises, and to do it in Practicum adds a completely natural setting. I have already gained both understanding of patient meetings and strategies to handle them. This is something all students of pharmacy should participate in,” says Emelie Holm.

Text: Magnus Alsne, photo: Mikael Wallerstedt