Assessment of Patients' Satisfaction with Pharmaceutical Care Services in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital: A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Objective: Pharmaceutical Care (PC) services have come to be the cornerstone of pharmacy practice all over the world. PC has been linked to better clinical and humanistic outcomes for patients. In Nigeria, only a few studies have analyzed pharmacists' pharmaceutical care services in hospitals. This study aims to ascertain patients' satisfaction with pharmaceutical care services and evaluate pharmacists' practices in Nigerian hospitals. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using a semi-structured questionnaire among inpatients and outpatients visiting five clinics in the hospital. The questionnaire was interviewer-administered. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the findings. The chi-square test was used to determine the association between respondents' sociodemographic variables and their satisfaction towards pharmacists' medication counselling. Results: Five hundred and three patients participated in the study. Females that participated in the study formed 58.6% of the total population. Approximately 71.4% of the respondents were satisfied with the pharmaceutical care services provided by pharmacists in the hospital. Most participants (70.8%) completed tertiary education, and the majority (63.4%) of the visits were follow-ups. There was no statistically significant correlation between the sociodemographic factors and patients' satisfaction, except for age and patronage, which showed a positive association. Conclusion: Patients at the University of Nigeria teaching hospital were satisfied with the pharmaceutical care services offered by the pharmacists. However, some of the respondents noted some level of dissatisfaction with the willingness of pharmacists to re-counsel patients upon request. An effective policy and strategy would address the issue and raise satisfaction.