Accra,(Greater Accra) 20 Oct. The Deputy Minister of Health, Nana Paddy Acheampong, today opened a three-day workshop in Accra for pharmacists in the West African sub-region with a call on them to improve their communication skills with patients. The workshop is being attended by about 90 participants from four English-speaking countries in the sub-region - Ghana, Nigeria, the Gambia and Sierra Leone. It is organised by the West African Pharmaceutical Federation (WAPF) in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Society Of Ghana (PSGH). It is under the theme ''Improving drug therapy outcomes through effective communication." The Deputy Minister said the strategic positions occupied by the pharmacist who is the last person a patient visits in the line of treatment makes it imperative for them to have a much better control on the issue of communication. ''To the patient the final input of the pharmacist is about the most tangible contribution that will ensure that he or she recovers from the ailment. ''Improving communication skills in the pharmacies and dispensaries is, therefore, of crucial importance not rpt not only to the patient but to all members of the health care delivery team.'' Nana Acheampong said studies have shown that where a little more time is spent with the patient over the counter or in the pharmacist's office explaining what the drug does and how it should be taken, there is a marked improvement in patient's compliance. Nana Acheampong said a recent study in Accra has shown that patients spend between 45 minutes and an hour waiting to collect their drugs. When called to the counter, however, they spend on the average 16 to 20 seconds with the dispensary technicians even though they are expected to be told everything about the drugs being dispensed. This cannot be right since ''sometimes these instructions are rattled out so fast that one wonders whether the patients really heard anything.'' He called on the participants to translate highly technical information into simple terms to enable patients to make informed decisions. The Deputy Minister noted that the training programme for pharmacists has shifted from a drug-centred one to a patient-oriented approach which is gradually incorporating the principles of behavioural science and interpersonal communication. Professor Kwabena Boakye-Yiadom, president of WAPF, said there is the need to add communication to the health delivery system. He said discussions and lectures during the workshop will help address the deficiencies in drug therapy and improve upon patient management. Mr Dela Ashiabor, president of PSGH, chaired the function.