Why is Health Literacy important in pharmacy practice?

What is Health Literacy?

Health literacy is the patient’s ability to “obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions

Only 12% of adults have proficient health literacy (e.g., can interpret the prescription label correctly). Even people who read well and are comfortable using numbers can face health literacy issues when

• They aren’t familiar with medical terms or how their bodies work.
• They have to interpret statistics and evaluate risks and benefits that affect their health and safety.
• They are diagnosed with a serious illness and are scared and confused.
• They have health conditions that require complicated self-care.
• They are voting on an issue affecting the community’s health and relying on unfamiliar technical information.

Why is Health Literacy Important to Pharmacists?

• To reduce medication error and mortality rates. Low health literacy is linked to a higher risk of mortality and emergency visits and has led to increased health disparities.
• To help patients become more educated and active in their medication management. Knowing about their medication and how it's so vital to their health makes patients want to achieve compliance and envision optimal health.
• To build trust. Taking the time to counsel patients, answer their questions, and find information that’s easy for them to understand builds the bridge of trust from the patient to the health care professional.

How can pharmacists improve health literacy with their patients?

Taking steps to improve your patients’ health literacy can increase their investment in their health, and build trust.?

1. Identify who’s at risk for low health literacy.

This can be as simple as asking patients if they understand what certain terms mean. Be aware of phrases or behaviours that might indicate low health literacy, such as referring to pills by their colour or shape rather than the medication’s name, or saying they will bring the medications home to talk about them with their kids or maybe even their neighbours.

2. Use “Ask Me 3.”

Some patients don’t know what to ask their physicians, feel ashamed of low literacy, or are socialized not to ask questions of authority figures. The Ask Me 3 campaign encourages patients to start a conversation with healthcare providers by asking:

• What is my main problem?
• What do I need to do?
• Why is it important for me to do this?

Pharmacists can encourage patients to use these guidelines by providing the answers in plain language—meaning no technical terms or jargon. Use an active voice that is clear and direct when communicating, and break complex information into chunks.?

Encourage patients to “teach back” what they’ve learned so they don’t walk out of the pharmacy and immediately forget what you explained.?

3. Explain prescription labels.

If patients don’t know what a medication is for or can’t find the instructions on the label, they’re not likely to take it.?Most people can’t easily spot the dosage and timing on a prescription label, and patients with low health literacy are likely to overlook the warning stickers on the side.?

So during a consultation, point out the info on the medication label or consumer information leaflet while you’re discussing it, so they know where to look if they need a reminder later.

Take the time to go over how the patient should take the pills, and what’s important to remember or avoid—such as heavy machinery or fruit juice.?

4. Create follow-up tools.

Juggling multiple medications can be challenging for anyone, especially so for someone with low health literacy. Come up with a follow-up process such as phone calls, text, or email reminders to notify patients whenever they’re due for a refill.?

Check to make sure that when doing the follow-up your communication is easy to understand especially for? people with limited medical knowledge

You can also create a pill card for patients with many medications taken at different times, and also provide additional literature with the patient and their loved ones or caregivers can read at home, which also uses understandable and appropriate language.

Remember to create and provide information and services so that people can understand and use the skills they have acquired. Also, see how you can create awareness campaigns to explain certain medical terms you can use social media as a tool (Just take a look from Akproko Doctor) you can also work with educators, local community leaders and volunteers to help people become more familiar with health information and services and build their health literacy skills over time.

You can also build your skills as a communicator of health information, there are many training options online that you can always check out.