Analysis of Pharmacist-Patient Communication using the Roter Method of Interaction Process Analysis System

Background: Effective communication between pharmacists and patients is a crucial factor in ensuring thatmedications are used properly. However, few studies have examined the contents of actual on-sitecommunications between pharmacists and patients.Objective: To identify the characteristics of and problems with routine communications betweenpharmacists and patients using the Roter Method of Interaction Process Analysis System (RIAS).Methods: Conversations between pharmacists and simulated patients (SPs) were recorded and transcribed.Using the RIAS technique, their utterances were classified into 42 categories, and these were furtherdivided into 11 clusters, such as open- and closed-ended questions, and analyzed. Furthermore, theinfluence that the different scenarios performed by the pharmacists may have had on the structure of theircommunication was investigated. All of the transcripts were double-coded by two certified coders.Results: A total of 57 pharmacists took part in the study. The mean ratio of utterances made by SPs andpharmacists were 44% and 56%, respectively. The percentage of pharmacists’ questions was more thandouble that of SPs’ for both open- and closed-ended questions. In the influence that the different scenarios,the scenarios for patients with cancer was significantly higher ratio of utterances by the pharmacists.Conclusions: Pharmacists’ communications tended to focus more on information-gathering activities thatconcentrated on closed-ended questions and frequent counseling, or directing utterances about themedication than on considering the patient’s background. On the other hand, the pharmacists didcommunicate in ways that matched each patient’s disease. This study identified the structure ofpharmacists’ on-site communications, and revealed the associated characteristics and problems