Page 46 - Management Theory 2023-2024 Edition

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The fourth and last distracting nonverbal component is the pharmacist’s tone of voice. Patients interpret
messages not only through words but also through the tone or type of voice used to convey messages.
An inappropriate tone of voice can upset patients and may create entirely different meanings of the
message.

Barriers In Communications

During communication, there are numerous barriers that may affect or disturb personal interaction. There
barriers can be divided into five major categories:

1. Environmental Barriers
2. Personal Barriers
3. Patient Barriers
4. Administrative and Financial Barriers
5. Time Barriers

1. Environmental Barriers: Distractions related to the environment often interfere with the process of
communication. One of the most obvious barriers in this category is the height of the prescription
counter separating the patient from the pharmacist. In certain stores, it is so high that even the patient
cannot see the pharmacist. This type of environment may give patients the impression that the
pharmacist does not want to talk to them.

Crowded and noisy prescription areas are the second biggest obstruction for communication between a
patient and pharmacist. Cash register ringing, music playing in the back ground, telephone ringing or
people talking may play major role in limiting communication between the pharmacist and patient.

Another subtle barrier is the pharmacist’s desire to answer every call, which gives the impression that
the pharmacist is not willing to talk to the patient.

2. Personal Barriers: Lack of confidence in personal communication or low self-esteem may act as a major
barrier in interpersonal communication. Another barrier in this category is the degree of personal
shyness. Individuals with high shyness levels tend to avoid interpersonal communication in most
situations. These types of people have a high level of fear or anxiety associated with communicating
with other people.

Another type of personal barrier in communication is talking to yourself (internal conversation) while
communicating with others. For example, while you are listening to somebody, you may ask yourself
whether you want to deal with this person or not. This will distract you from your normal
communication. Another personal barrier that may interfere with the communication process is the
transference of the problem to another person. For example, you may say to your technician to take
care of a patient since you are really busy filling prescriptions. Cross-cultural factors also categorize
under the persona barriers. For example, in some cultures, it is disrespectful to engage in eye contact
during communication.

Another personal barrier that limits the communication is the fear of being in a situation that is sensitive
or difficult to handle. For example, when an HIV patient expresses the fear of dying, we do not know
how to communicate with him. The last barrier in this category is that many pharmacists believe that
talking with patients is not a high priority activity.

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