Before you begin, have you completed:

• NHS Discharge Medicines Service: part one
• NHS Discharge Medicines Service: part two
• NHS Discharge Medicines Service: part three
• NHS Discharge Medicines Service: part four
• NHS Discharge Medicines Service: part five

Improved understanding

At Stage 3 of the NHS Discharge Medicines service, community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians need to be able to consult with patients referred through the service in a person-centred way to improve their understanding of their medicines post-discharge.

Person-centred care takes into account an individual’s needs and preferences. People should have the opportunity to make informed decisions about their care and treatment, in partnership with their health professionals. This involves a culture shift from a position where the health professional makes the decisions within the consultation (a paternalistic approach) to one of partnership working with the patient; a situation of equal power balance and shared decision making, based on eliciting the ideas, concerns, expectations and beliefs of the patient and providing evidence-based information, advice and guidance.

Taking a person-centred approach will support pharmacy professionals to ensure patients have full involvement in the discussion and decision making process, feel valued and respected and are listened to and have their issues, concerns and viewpoint heard.