Abstract :
Background: Determining the clients’ satisfaction with the provision of pharmaceutical services is crucial because it not
only helps in identifying the areas which needs improvement but it also enhances the positive changes in the current system.
Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the level of clients’ satisfaction with the services provided at the outpatient
pharmacy of Bahria International Hospital (BIH) in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was employed. The study involved 400 clients, who had
prescriptions/orders filled at the outpatient pharmacy of a tertiary care hospital between 1st March and 20
th April, 2017.
Data was obtained according to the objective of study using a standardized data collection form. The data was analyzed by
using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.)
Results: The overall mean score for the satisfaction with the pharmaceutical services was 3.11 out of a maximum of 5.00
score. The mean scores for all the individual parameters rated were less than 4.00. Among the mean scores, maximum
scores were given to “the clarity of the pharmacy professional’s instructions about how to take your medicationâ€
(3.88±0.69; 77.6%) and “the courtesy and respect showed to you by the pharmacy staff†(3.71±078; 74.2%). On the other
hand, the parameters rated lowest included “the availability of medications in the pharmacy that are prescribed to youâ€
(1.54±0.69; 30.8%) and “the way your pharmacist works together with your doctor to make sure your medications are the
best for you†(1.64±0.76; 32.8%). Female clients had a higher level of mean satisfaction (2.99±0.21) as compared to male
clients (2.93±0.19). Furthermore, higher levels of satisfaction were also reported among older adults, those having primary
education level, low income class, and those with moderate self-reported health status.
Conclusions: The overall mean satisfaction level of clients of the outpatient pharmacy was found to be of “moderate†level
and there was variation in level of satisfaction with respect to different socio-demographic and health-related
characteristics. Future studies focusing on the underlying reasons behind the moderate satisfaction may lead to appropriate
solutions for improving the service.
Key words: Patients’ satisfaction; Pharmacy services; Clients; Tertiary care hospital.
Keyword :
Patients’ satisfaction; Pharmacy services; Clients; Tertiary care hospital.