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DEFINITION
Verbal communication refers to the production of spoken language to send an
intentional message to a listener.
It is a form of communication in which message is transmitted verbally, by word of
mouth and writing.
In verbal communication - keep it short and simple

Keep It Short and

Simple=KISS
When we talk to others, we assume that others understand what we are saying
because we know what we are saying.
But this is not the case, Usually people bring their own attitude, perception,
emotions and thoughts about the topic and hence creates barrier in delivering
the right meaning.
In order to deliver the right message, you must put yourself on the other side of the
tablE
CHANNELS THAT USE VERBAL COMMUNICATION
 verbal discussions
 telephonic talks
 telecommunications and other artificial media such as audio-visual aids speeches
and orders
 Holding of meetings and conferences
 lectures
 social get-togethers
 training sessions
 public address systems
 counseling sessions etc
ADVANTAGES OF VERBAL COMMUNICATION
 Allows for immediate feedback
 High level of understanding and transparency
 Flexibility for allowing changes in the decisions previously taken.
 Spoken instructions are flexible and easily adaptable to many diverse situations.
 It is the least time consuming, is more direct, simple and the least expensive. 
ADVANTAGES CONT’D
 Oral communication is best in case of problem resolution.
 The conflicts, disputes and many issues/differences can be put to an end by
talking them over.
 Fosters teamwork and group energy.
 Oral communication promotes a receptive and encouraging morale among
organizational employees.
 Oral communication can be best used to transfer private and confidential
information/matters
DISADVANTAGES OF VERBAL COMMUNICATION

 Poor presentation of the message or the instruction can result in

misunderstanding and wrong responses.
 Relying only on oral communication may not be sufficient
 Poor retention
 Meetings, long speeches consume lot of time and are unproductive at times.
 Oral communications are not easy to maintain and thus they are unsteady.
 It requires attentiveness and great receptivity on part of the receivers/
 Spoken communication is influenced by both verbal and non-verbal
communication such as tone or body language which may twist the meaning of
your message in the mind of the receiver.
DISADVANTAGES CONT’D

 Lengthy, distant and important information cannot be effectively conveyed

verbally
 Verbal talks may often be distorted if there is some cause of indifference between
the receiver and the sender.
 it is inadequate where permanency and uniformity of form are required.
 Due to various communication gaps, as a result of status and other physical or
personal barriers communication is incomplete.
 Spontaneous responses may not be carefully thought.
 The spoken words can be more easily misunderstood than the written words.
 It presupposes expertise in the art of effective speaking.
AIDS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Speed
Clarity
Punctuation
Pronunciation
Familiarity
Fluency
Expression
SPEED
This refers to the number of words per minute.
Slowing down on rate of speech is the first step towards better speech.
A DA should speak in a way that is not too fast or too slow to the customer/patient
Communication conveyed too fast may lead to the message not being delivered
appropriately and the patient may leave the pharmacy in a worse state than they
entered
SPEED CONT’D
Communication conveyed too slow may lead to the customer getting bored and
impatient.
CLARITY
This should be audible & free of distortion.
Speech should be loud enough to carry to all the listeners.
Voice Clarity can be mastered with regular practice
PRONOUNCIATION

Always remember that english is not "phonetic".

That means that we do not always say a word the same way that we spell it.
Use a Good Dictionary or work with your Trainer to Correct pronunciation
PUNCTUATION
Punctuation…use of various kinds of pauses
It is the use of certain marks to clarrify meaning of written material by grouping
words grammatically into sentences, clauses and phrases.
The use of spacing, convectional signs and certain typographical devices as aids to
understanding and correct reading of written text.
FAMILIARITY
Familiarity with words used, pharmacy terminology, names of medicines
Learning new words…
Using known words in new contexts…
Understanding contexts and situations before reading again
FLUENCY
Fluency…Ability to express words easily.
It is the flow and efficiency with which one expresses their ideas, particularly when
speaking.
It is the continuity, smoothness, rate and effort in speech production.
EXPRESSION
Transforming ideas into words.
RESPONDING TO OTHERS
There are seven steps of how to respond to others in a pharmacy environment
1. Secure requestor demographics.
It’s important to know your audience, as your response technique may differ depending
on whether the question comes from a health care professional or a patient.
For example, you’d use the word “renal” with a pharmacist and “kidney” with a patient.
It’s always best to inquire how the requestor would like the information delivered (eg,
phone or fax), as this will help ensure adequate follow-up
CONT’D
2. Obtain background information.
Determine whether it’s a general or patient-specific question, and then identify resources
the requestor has already consulted to help facilitate the process.
For patient-specific questions, it’s important to inquire about pregnancy, weight, and renal
function.
CONT’D
3. Determine and categorize the question.
If a pharmacist requests information about whether a patient who’s breastfeeding can take
amoxicillin, this would be classified as a lactation question.
Various categories may include pregnancy, drug interaction, pharmacy law, or pill
identification.
4. Develop a strategy and conduct a search.
First, begin with tertiary literature, which is a compilation of primary literature.
This may include text books like Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation or drug information
databases like Clinical Pharmacology or Lexicomp.
Next, consult your secondary literature resources, which is the path to primary literature.
Secondary resources include PubMed and EMBASE, which will enable you to locate
primary literature or original research.
It’s important to use reputable resources when researching. When using websites, be sure
to consult ones ending in .gov or .org.
CONT’D
5. Perform evaluation, analysis, and synthesis.
Objectively critique all of the information you retrieve from your comprehensive
literature search.
Also, consider the background information of your question.
Consult with pharmacists and other health care professionals with expertise in your
specific drug information question.
CONT’D
6. Formulate and provide a response.
Inform the requestor when one course of action is more desirable.
Present competing viewpoints and considerations.
Also, describe your evaluation of the research.
Written responses should always be concise and fully referenced.
CONT’D
7. Conduct follow-up and documentation.
Following up is important for ensuring the information was received.
Always document your drug information questions so you can refer back to them. You’ll
likely see the same question in the future, and this well help serve as a reference
point.
CHOICE OF WORDING- THE DISPENSING
PROCESS
With the aid of a flow chart, describe the dispensing process to be followed by a
dispensary assistant during the conduction of his/her work. (25)
CHOICE OF WORDING- THE 7CS OF
COMMUNICATION
 Completeness
 Conciseness
 Consideration
 Clarity
 Concreteness
 Courtesy
 Correctness
COMPLETENESS

Every communication must be complete and adequate.

• Message is complete when it contains all facts the reader or listener needs for the
reaction you desire.
• Senders need to assess their message through the eyes of the receivers to be sure they
have included all relevant information.
• who ? what ? when ? where ? why ?
• Provide all necessary information.
• Answer all questions asked.
• Incomplete messages keep the receiver guessing, create misunderstanding and delay
actions
CONCISENESS

• The intended message must be free from verbosity and should be so written that it is
comprehensible at the first sight.
• Short and intelligible message sent to the receiver is ever appealing and
comprehensible.
•Eliminate wordy expressions.
•Include only relevant statements
•Shorten & avoid long explanations.
•Avoid gushing politeness.
•Avoid unnecessary repetitions, use short forms for the second time.
It saves time and cost
CONSIDERATION

Consideration implies “stepping into the shoes of others”

•know the audience’s view points, background, mind-set, education level, etc.
• Make an attempt to envisage your audience, their requirements, emotions as well as
problems.
• Ensure that the self-respect of the audience is maintained and their emotions are not
at harm
CLARITY

• The message should have clarity of thoughts and ideas in order to be understood
clearly.
•Clear message makes use of exact, appropriate and concrete words and symbols.
•Emphasize one specific message, goal or idea at a time.
•Avoid vagueness.
•Avoid technical terms which may be hard to understand.
•Avoid the possibility of misinterpretation. As much as possible, your audience shouldn’t
have to “read between the lines”.
•Include examples, illustrations and other visual aids when desirable
CONCRETENESS

Be precise in presenting facts and figures.

• Use active voice more than the passive.
•The doctors administered the HIV test
•The HIV tests were administered by the doctors
• Use of image building words where necessary.
• Use specific facts and figures
COURTESY

• Courtesy in a message implies that the message should show the sender’s expression
as well as respect the receiver.
• The sender's message should be sincerely polite, judicious, reflective and
enthusiastic.
• E.g“please”, “may you kindly”, “thank you”
CORRECTNESS

• Proper grammar, punctuation and spelling.

• Use the right level of language.
• Check the accuracy of figures, facts and words.
• Maintain acceptable writing mechanics.