Kendall McKenzie
Assessing the Effectiveness of Patient–Pharmacist Communication During Medication Counseling in Texas Community Pharmacies
Kendall McKenzie is a PGY-1 pharmacy resident with H-E-B Pharmacy and The University of Texas at Austin in Austin, TX.
“Studies have shown that lack of effective communication can lead to poor patient outcomes, including hospitalization. Pharmacists play a vital role as part of the patient's healthcare team, and the way pharmacists communicate with their patients should be conducive to their understanding. Barriers to effective communication such as low health literacy, language, emotional and mental barriers can all affect the way a patient understands how their medication should be taken.
Communication barriers between pharmacists and patients can often hinder a patient from truly understanding what their medication is being used to treat. As the most accessible health care providers to our community, it is imperative that we, pharmacists, address the needs of our patients to ensure their health and safety.
I am most excited to not only give back to our patients for their willingness to participate in the study but also learn what more pharmacists can do to help make sure we are connecting to our patients. Pharmacists communicate with hundreds of patients and providers daily, and by conducting this study using the grant, it will only allow pharmacists to excel further in our profession.”