Why we should understand the patient experience: clinical empathy and medicines optimisation.
OBJECTIVE
To critically discuss the need for pharmacists to underpin their consultations with appropriate 'clinical empathy' as part of effective medicines optimisation.


METHODS
Use of literature around empathy, consultation and pharmacy practice to develop a case for greater clinical empathy in pharmacy consultations.


RESULTS
Clinical empathy is defined from the literature and applied to pharmacy consultations, with a comparison to empathy in other clinical professions. Historical barriers to the embedding of clinical empathy into pharmacy consultations are also explored.


CONCLUSIONS
We challenge the pharmacy profession to consider how clinical empathy should underpin consultations with a series of introspective questions and provide some sample questions to support pharmacy consultations. We also make the case for appropriate education and professional development of consultation skills at undergraduate and postgraduate level. We contend that patients' relationships with practitioners are critical, and a lack of empathy can impact the effectiveness of care.
Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College, London, UK. barry.jubraj@kcl.ac.uk.
Barry
B
Jubraj
Medicines Use and Safety Division, NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service, Pharmacy Department, Northwick Park Hospital, London, UK.
Nina L
NL
Barnett
Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education, Manchester Pharmacy School, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Lesley
L
Grimes
London Pharmacy Education and Training, Paddington, London, UK.
Sneha
S
Varia
UCL School of Pharmacy, Centre for Behavioural Medicine, Department of Practice and Policy, London, UK.
Angel
A
Chater
Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College, London, UK.
Vivian
V
Auyeung
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004645:Empathy; D006801:Humans; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000523:psychology*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012017:Referral and Consultation
clinical empathy; patient experience; pharmacists