The impact of COVID-19 policy stringency on patient satisfaction with community pharmacies in China: A cross-sectional standardized patient study

ObjectivesCommunity pharmacies play a crucial role in China's primary health care system. This study aimed to assess the impact of stringent COVID-19 policy responses - such as lockdowns, travel restrictions and operational closures - on unannounced standardized patients' (USPs) satisfaction with community pharmacy services.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2021 to September 2022, using an USPs approach in community pharmacies across China. USPs' satisfaction was measured using validated tools, with closure policies related to COVID-19 as the primary exposure variable.ResultsThe study included 1076 eligible USP visits to community pharmacies. Results indicated that stricter closure policies had a significant negative impact on USPs' satisfaction (β = -0.18, <i>p</i> = 0.019). This negative effect may be attributed to worsened capability of pharmaceutical service providers (β = -0.17, <i>p</i> = 0.002) and accessibility (β = -0.12, <i>p</i> = 0.019). Subgroup analyses demonstrated a negative correlation between stricter closure policies and lower satisfaction levels with regard to accessibility, capability, and communication.ConclusionsCOVID-19 closure policies in China had adverse consequences for the quality of pharmacy services. These findings highlight that governments must act with urgency when addressing abrupt infectious diseases or public health emergencies. Enhancing access to pharmacy services and capability of providers are critical strategies to ensure an effective response to sudden public health crises.