Satisfaction of the General Public Toward Community Pharmacists-Patients Education Concerning Over the Counter Medicines in Baghdad/Al-Rusafa: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Community pharmacies are considered the first contact point between patients and healthcare professionals. Pharmacists have an important role in advising patients and delivering pharmaceutical services to the community. Investigating the satisfaction of the public with this service is essential. Objective: To determine the satisfaction of the general public concerning OTC medicine dispensing in Baghdad, Rusafa region. Methods: This cross-sectional study used a modified, adapted self-administered questionnaire given to patients visiting pharmacies and a Google form online administration that focused on their satisfaction with community pharmacists and pharmacy services. It was conducted from September 2023 to April 2024 on a randomly selected population (n=891). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: Of 891 patients, only 843 completed the questionnaire. 73% of respondents believed that pharmacists have enough information just like physicians, 72% were satisfied that pharmacy is a good place to get advice; only 24.2% showed that pharmacists gave them the needed instructions, and only 13.5% wrote instructions. 91.1% found pharmacies appearance good, but the overall satisfaction with pharmacy services is only 59.2% among educated and non-educated respondents. Conclusions: There is a positive perception about pharmacists as a source of instruction, education, and professional care givers to customers, but the overall satisfaction is low as pharmacists did not use their scientific knowledge and background information to serve patients in addition to the need for good communication skills and pharmacy ethics.