Key takeaways

Active listening and empathy are key strategies for calming upset patients in a pharmacy setting, involving undivided attention and empathetic communication.
Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians should not take patient frustration personally, maintaining professionalism and a positive demeanor to de-escalate situations.
Apologizing and reframing the problem help in diffusing tense situations, showing patients that pharmacy staff are on their side and working towards a solution.
Ensuring the safety and well-being of pharmacy staff is crucial; verbal or physical abuse from patients should not be tolerated, with measures in place to address uncooperative behavior.

If you’re working in a pharmacy, you may have heard stories about angry patients or experienced a situation with an upset patient yourself. There’s no doubt it can be tough to go through, but you’re not alone. Learning how to provide good customer service can drive increased patient satisfaction and customer loyalty. Dealing with an angry or frustrated patient is often a part of delivering customer service, and it can be a valuable skill in the pharmacy.

Keep reading to learn some techniques you can use to quell an upset patient, remain calm, and resolve the problem at hand.

What does excellent pharmacy customer service mean?

Customer service remains at the forefront of running a successful pharmacy. Without the patient, there is no pharmacy. So what exactly does excellent pharmacy customer service involve? It can include several different areas of patient interactions.

Building rapport, such as through learning patient names, can go a long way in providing great service. If you know the patient’s schedule, have the prescription ready so you’re able to ring them up quickly. Always follow up with the patient, especially if you’re waiting on a medication to be shipped or are dealing with an insurance problem. Strengthening patient relationships can help patients feel understood and reassured about taking their medications.

When it comes to customer service, pharmacy technicians are the lifeblood of the pharmacy. At the end of the day, pharmacy technicians are the face of the pharmacy and take on the bulk of patient interactions. They greet patients, handle insurance questions, and answer general questions about the pharmacy. Maintaining or improving pharmacy technician customer service is essential for good pharmacy customer service.

According to a 2020 industry report on pharmacy customer service, pharmacy staff and patient interactions can promote patient satisfaction in a number of different areas. In chain pharmacies especially, building relationships with the patient, helping the patient with insurance issues, and counseling the patient on how to take medications correctly are some of the most influential factors of good customer service.

5 ways to deal with angry patients

If you’re wanting to learn how to calm a patient down and solve the problem at hand, try these solutions and tips. The pharmacy staff should be on the same page when resolving pharmacy customer complaints.

1. Listen to the patient

Use active listening skills to identify the patient’s problem. Give the patient your undivided attention and acknowledge what he or she is saying. You can show you’re actively listening with good eye contact, open body language, and occasional nods or verbal comments like, “Yes” or “I see.” You can then ask open-ended questions and respond once you’ve gathered all the information.

2. Don’t take it personally

If the patient starts getting heated, try to keep your cool. It can be easy to let your emotions get the best of you, especially if it’s been a long day. However, you shouldn’t take it personally; responding with an attitude or negative energy can escalate things further and make the patient even more upset. Instead, be professional. There’s always merit to staying positive and treating patients with kindness.

3. Apologize and empathize

Give a sincere apology to the patient. You should also use empathetic statements like, “I feel your frustration” or “I wish there was something else I could do.” Apologizing and empathizing can help diffuse a volatile situation.

4. Reframe the problem

One good way to calm an angry patient is to reframe the problem and show that you’re on your patient’s side. If it’s something to do with the insurance company, you can try to redirect your patient’s frustration. Make it an us-versus-them situation. If insurance won’t cover the medication, the patient can contact the insurance company and inquire about the problem.

5. Protect the well-being of yourself and your staff

If a frustrated patient starts raising his or her voice, hurling insults, or gets out of control, it’s time to start thinking about the safety of the pharmacy staff. Let the patient know you will not tolerate any kind of verbal or physical abuse in the pharmacy. You can tell the patient to leave the pharmacy if you feel they’re being uncooperative. If needed, you can call your supervisor or security.

Common pharmacy customer service scenarios

When figuring out how to deal with rude patients, there are different scenarios you might find yourself in. Here are a couple of difficult patient scenarios and examples of how to handle an upset patient.

The prescription is not ready

It can get extremely busy in a pharmacy, especially at peak hours, which can make it hard to fill prescriptions on time. Whether you’re running short-staffed or dealing with an insurance issue, it’s easy to fall behind. In these cases, it’s best to be honest with the patient. You’ll also want to be specific about when the prescription will be ready. For example, don’t say it’ll be ready shortly. Say it’ll be ready in 20 minutes.

The medication needs prior authorization

Sometimes a patient can get angry or frustrated if their prescription isn’t ready because of an insurance issue, such as prior authorization. The best way to resolve this situation is to educate the patient on what’s going on. Tell them that a prior authorization is carried out between the doctor and the insurance company, and the patient should contact their provider to expedite the process. Lay out other options for the patient, such as paying cash for the drug.

Turn difficult situations into manageable patient interactions

Calming an upset or angry patient can be stressful. However, it is a useful skill in delivering excellent pharmacy customer service and patient satisfaction. Just remember to show empathy, actively listen, and never take it personally. Many times, patients are going through a stressful situation with their health, family, or personal issues. Empower your staff to handle angry customers with tact and don’t be afraid to tell the patient to leave or call the police if they start becoming abusive.