Are you embarrassed?

Do you feel uncomfortable discussing personal health issues with your doctor, pharmacist, or other health professional? It’s an issue that can result in not getting the care or advice that you need to have an ideal healthy and happy life, and one that’s led to changes in pharmacy designs to provide space allowing for more privacy for sensitive discussions.

I remember the first pharmacy I worked in... We had one counter for everything: dropping off and picking up prescriptions, asking questions, and even paying telephone and hydro bills. You can imagine that there could be quite a potential audience for people’s questions, especially at the end of the month when bills were due! But we improvised. There was a small staff exit at one end of the dispensary and that became our space for private conversations. Have you noticed that pharmacies all have sections with privacy barriers now? We need these! And many also have a private room for conversations, although perhaps not used as much as they could and should be.

We're talking about this... I recently read an article written for doctors and pharmacists, suggesting that people were more willing to open up and discuss sensitive issues when the health professional acted more “robotic” rather than friendly. Everyone was horrified at the idea of acting like a robot, of course, but I think they were trying to suggest that behaving more professionally, suggesting confidentiality, would give patients confidence that they would be treated with respect. The more friendly approach used in the study resulted in people asking fewer questions, for some reason, perhaps because the topic was not something they’d discuss with a friend.

But the level of privacy is also a factor, as well as the amount of time available for a discussion. Planning your visit to the pharmacy during off-hours when the pharmacist would be less busy is a good idea, and you can certainly ask to speak to them in a more private area, especially if you note that there is a consultation room available. Mid-afternoon and early evening are often slower times in a pharmacy, but if they’re busy and you don’t live too far away, you could always ask when would be a good time to return to discuss a private issue. Some pharmacists also book appointments so time is set aside, usually when there would be two pharmacists on duty, making less pressure to hurry through a sensitive conversation. Increasingly, insurance companies and government plans are paying for these consultations as patients have been shown to benefit, allowing time to be scheduled for sharing advice and providing medications.

Ensuring privacy Of course, doctors are set up for privacy, both for discussions and examinations. But I have found that remembering your doctor has these kinds of discussions every day – that’s what they do for a living – helps me to feel more at ease with what could be an uncomfortable topic. And their examination rooms are designed for the privacy required for their in-depth physical examinations. I remember having to quickly stick up a large poster over the glass door to my consultation room when I started giving vaccines and realized some people needed to remove clothing so I could access the injection site on the upper arm. Eeek! I hadn’t thought of that in my set-up and, before pharmacists started giving injections, removal of clothing only meant removing an extra sweater if the room was too warm!

Just ask... My last comment is that, if you’re not sure of the level of confidentiality, just ask that they please not repeat what you are saying to anyone. It should go without saying, but it can help you feel more comfortable, and it never hurts to emphasize the need for confidentiality. I once overheard two pharmacy assistants (not trained as pharmacy technicians) commenting on how much Viagra an older gentleman was using (judged by his frequency of refills). I was appalled! But I was a relief pharmacist and knew it would make be very unpopular with the staff to have reprimanded them. I probably should have done it anyway. So, it’s your health... ask the questions that you need answered and demand the level of privacy that will make you comfortable. It’s your right... and it’s a healthcare professional’s job.

PS: And, just a note to say I'm moving to a new site which will allow me to post images with my articles: https://jeanniebeaudin.wordpress.com/ where you'll find my full archive of blogs with photos (although, unfortunately with ads from the host site -- let me know if any you see are inappropriate, and I'll complain to WordPress!) My posts continue to be not for profit, as always...