Pharmacy Team Communication Strategies for Better Patient Outcomes

Communication as a Safety Net

Medication errors frequently stem from communication breakdowns. Strong team communication protects patients and improves pharmacy workflow efficiency. This operational competency is tested on the PTCB exam and is essential in every practice setting.

Structured Communication Techniques

SBAR Framework

The SBAR method (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) provides a standardized format for communicating clinical information. Pharmacy technicians can use SBAR when relaying patient concerns to the pharmacist or reporting issues to prescribers.

Read-Back and Verify

When receiving verbal or telephone orders, always read back the information to confirm accuracy. This includes the drug name (using both brand and generic), dose, route, frequency, and any special instructions.

Shift Handoff Best Practices

• Review pending prescriptions and their status with the incoming technician
• Communicate any unresolved insurance issues or prior authorization requests
• Note any special patient situations, such as waiting customers or delivery deadlines
• Document handoff details in a shared log rather than relying on verbal memory alone

Preventing Communication Errors

Tall Man Lettering

Using tall man lettering helps distinguish look-alike drug names. For example, hydrOXYzine versus hydrALAzine, or predniSONE versus prednisoLONE. Pharmacy systems should display these distinctions prominently.

Avoiding Dangerous Abbreviations

The ISMP maintains a list of error-prone abbreviations. Never use "U" for units, "QD" for daily, or trailing zeros after decimal points. These abbreviations have caused serious medication errors in practice.

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