Evaluating the impact of pharmacist counseling on patient satisfaction and willingness to pay: A study in the Pakistan health care context

Abstract Background Patient‐centered pharmacist counseling enhances health care experiences by fostering understanding and trust. This study aimed to understand patient satisfaction levels and their propensity to pay for pharmacist counseling services. Methods This study is a cross‐sectional survey that was carried out in Lahore, Pakistan. The study was conducted from May to July 2023, utilizing the Patient Satisfaction Feedback (PSF) questionnaire as the primary tool for data collection in various community pharmacies. The data was collated from 300 completed surveys and subsequently analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques in IBM SPSS software (Version 22). The analysis provided valuable insights into the influence of counseling services on patients' viewpoints. Results In the study, a diverse sample of patients demonstrated a notably positive reception of pharmacist counseling. The majority of the respondents had a positive response towards easy access to this service, with 76.7% reporting no difficulty. Furthermore, 49.7% expressed complete satisfaction in obtaining the knowledge they required, while 43.3% indicated they received this knowledge to some extent. Prominent values were observed, including 57.3% expressing high satisfaction levels, and 71.3% demonstrating readiness to pay for it. Notably, gender‐related differences were observed, with females displaying particularly strong positive attitudes towards counseling services. Conclusion In conclusion, this study revealed significant patient satisfaction with pharmacist counseling services, with over half of the participants expressing contentment. Moreover, despite the country's lower health care spending, a substantial portion of patients expressed a willingness to pay for this service, highlighting the potential for establishing pharmaceutical care services with a distinctive role within Pakistan's health care sector.