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Preliminary Study of Patients’ Perceptions and Satisfaction in Outpatient Pharmacies at the Cancer and Heart Centres in Qatar

Ghasoub R, Zaidan M, Al-Yafie S, Al-Siyabi K, Radwan Y and Mohamed Ibrahim MI

Background: Patient satisfaction is a worldwide goal of health care organizations and is considered as an indicator for the quality of healthcare services provided in any health care sector.

Purpose: To assess patients’ perceptions and satisfaction in the outpatient pharmacies at the National Centre for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) and the Heart Hospital (HH) at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in Qatar.

Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted at the HH and the NCCCR from February to March 2013 using validated and piloted questionnaire. The self-administered questionnaire consisted of 5 sections: patients socio-demographic characteristics, five perception statements regarding pharmacy layout and waiting area, six statements regarding patients interaction with pharmacists, four perception questions concerning pharmacists’ skills and two statements regarding the overall satisfaction. All statements were assessed with 5 points Likert scale. The survey was distributed to patients visited HH and NCCCR during the study period. Data was analysed descriptively using SPSS version 18.

Results: A total of 198 participants completed the survey. Assessment of patients` satisfaction with the general pharmacy layout revealed that 93% of respondents were satisfied with pharmacy physical layout and 99% with dispensing area. With regard to patient's perception about interaction with pharmacists, the majority of respondents expressed high satisfaction with pharmacists' professionalism (99%), time spent consulting them (98%) and pharmacists` wellness to answer their inquires (99%). Top rated pharmacists’ skill by patients was pharmacists' explanation to treatment (97%). Finally, the overall satisfaction was 98% with the service provided in pharmacy and 99% with the pharmacy staff.

Conclusion: The preliminary study showed a high level of patients` satisfaction with the pharmacy layout, as well as with the pharmacy staff.