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Patient satisfaction with outpatient pharmaceutical services
American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy
|June 1, 1982
Summary
Most university hospital patients are satisfied with outpatient pharmacy services. Key barriers to using the university pharmacy include lack of awareness, inconvenience for refills, and long wait times.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Pharmacy Practice
- Patient Satisfaction
Background:
- Understanding patient characteristics and satisfaction is crucial for optimizing outpatient pharmaceutical services.
- University hospitals face unique challenges in retaining patients for prescription fulfillment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess patient demographics and satisfaction with outpatient pharmaceutical services at a university hospital.
- To identify factors influencing prescription filling behavior at the university pharmacy.
Main Methods:
- A mail questionnaire was administered to 700 randomly selected outpatients.
- Usable responses from 335 patients were analyzed to determine characteristics and satisfaction levels.
Main Results:
- 40% of respondents were aged 18-34; 59% paid for their own prescriptions.
- Reasons for not using the university pharmacy included unawareness (29%), inconvenience (36%), and long wait times (21%).
- Convenience (55%), medication availability (19%), and price (12%) were primary reasons for using the university pharmacy, with 94% overall satisfaction.
Conclusions:
- University pharmacies can improve patient retention by addressing awareness, convenience, and wait times.
- Despite some barriers, a high level of patient satisfaction exists among those who utilize the university pharmacy services.