The article discusses the importance communications have in the pharmacist/patient relationship in the Pharmaceutical Care process, in the ambit of this professional's performance in commercial and private pharmacies in both public and private systems. The article identifies factors that interfere with the communication process and discusses the importance of the health professionals' attitudes as allies in valuing communications with the patient, which, in turn, favors the therapeutics to be used. The goal is to discuss the importance of communications in the pharmacist/patient relationship as a professional pedagogic resource to develop a Pharmaceutical Care process. The relationship is formed by a learning process in which the pharmacist is a learning facilitator for his or her patient. His or her function is to provide proper information on medication use; to teach by not only conveying the information, rather by creating conditions for the patient to receive such information in a useful, effective manner, organizing strategies to learn the prescribed therapy.
communication in health; pharmaceutical care; health services
