Building Bridges: Multidisciplinary Care and Patient Education Excellence for TD

Pharmacists are crucial in fostering multidisciplinary collaboration to provide personalized care for patients with tardive dyskinesia across various practice settings. In outpatient environments, where there is often no formal health care team structure, pharmacists must take the initiative to build communication routines with treating clinicians. Regular updates on patient status, sent through secure and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act–compliant messaging systems, help maintain a continuous flow of information. Consistent communication allows clinicians to rely on these updates and enhances care coordination, despite the lack of an established team framework.

In long-term care and skilled nursing facilities, pharmacists benefit from more structured health care teams, which facilitate communication and collaboration. Practical tools such as progress notes and color-coded reminders enable pharmacists to efficiently convey medical or psychiatric concerns to other providers, such as psychiatrists during their rounds. These visual cues help highlight important patient information and ensure timely attention to changes in condition or treatment needs. Such methods contribute to a smoother exchange of information, improving patient outcomes through coordinated efforts.

In more organized inpatient settings, electronic health record systems often include secure messaging features that allow pharmacists to communicate directly with multidisciplinary team members. These platforms support 2-way communication, enabling pharmacists to send prescription-related messages and share clinical observations and collaborate on treatment decisions in real time. Utilizing these tools effectively ensures that all providers remain informed and can respond promptly to patient needs. Across all settings, pharmacists’ proactive engagement and strategic use of communication methods are essential to enhancing personalized care and improving the quality of life for patients living with tardive dyskinesia.