Patient experience in community pharmacy services: A scoping review

The role of pharmacists in community settings is expanding, and understanding patient experience- an essential indicator of person-centered care-is crucial for improving pharmacy service quality. However, the extent to which patient experience has been studied in community pharmacies remains unclear. This scoping review aimed to explore the scope of research on patient experience in community pharmacies.

This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in October 2024 using PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar with predefined keywords, including "patient-centered," "experience," and "community pharmacy."

Of the 121 records identified, 15 studies, published between 2008 and 2024, met the eligibility criteria. These studies were conducted in Australia (n = 4), the United States (n = 3), and the United Kingdom (n = 3), with six studies published in non-English languages. Study methodologies included qualitative (n = 7), quantitative (n = 5), and mixed (n = 2). Four studies used patient-reported experience measures (PREMs). Terminology for study participants varied, with "patients" (n = 10), "consumers" (n = 3), and "customers" (n = 1). In addition, one study included pharmacists (n = 1) and another included caregivers (n = 1).

This review emphasizes advancing person-centered care in pharmacy practice, with a growing focus on patient experience in community pharmacies. Future studies should develop and implement patient-reported experience measures tailored to different social contexts to enhance care and service evaluation.