Here’s a question for you to ponder – when the doctor tells you to take your medications two hours after food, will you take them TWO HOURS AFTER food? If the pharmacist advises you to stop smoking, will you do that immediately?
Throughout my internship stint at a Polyclinic, I have seen patients from all walks of life – patients who come in just for the MC, patients who think they can cut the queue because “I pay my taxes too”, and patients who will not admit to their mistakes etc. But what worries (or frustrates?) me are chronic patients who fail to follow their medication regime, and patients who fail to listen to their healthcare providers’ advice.
While working at the counter, patients will come with their leftover packets of medications, telling me to cut down on the prescription since they still have the medications. Some people might not think too much of this, but for us healthcare providers, it is a cause for medical intervention. Usually, medications prescribed for chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes mellitus are just enough until the next appointment. Having leftovers just mean that patients have not been taking their medication according to their doctors' orders. I would have to sit them down in the counseling room, and guide them through their medications (we call it medication reconciliation). Some patients would then recall what their doctors have told them before, while some have no idea what I am talking about.
There were a few days where I shadowed a clinical pharmacist who was consulting patients with diabetes mellitus. When she asked the patients whether they did what she advised them to do such as exercising, eating healthy food, stop smoking etc, they would tell her grandmother stories and beat around the bush before admitting to not following her advice.
All these lead me to more questions – is there active listening between the patient and the healthcare provider at all? If the doctor tells the patient the medication regime, why would there be leftovers? Or when the pharmacist advises the patient to eat healthily, what is stopping them from doing so?
What do you think?
