Shared decision making

For the Discharge Medicines Service consultation to be genuinely person-centred, both the pharmacy professional and the patient should enter into shared decision making. This means people are supported to:

• Understand the care, treatment and support options available and the risks, benefits and consequences of those options
• Make a decision about a preferred course of action, based on evidence based, good quality information and their personal preferences.

The conversation brings together the clinician’s expertise, such as treatment options, evidence, risks and benefits, as well as things that the patient knows best, such as their preferences, personal circumstances, goals, values and beliefs. It also provides an opportunity to engage the patient in a conversation about their new medicines regimen that was started in a care setting and what that means to them now they are back at home.