Clients’ satisfaction with the services of an outpatient pharmacy at a university hospital in Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

Pharmaceutical care includes the pharmacist’s responsibility to optimize medication therapy and improve patient outcomes. Hence, patient/client satisfaction is regarded as an important measure of the effectiveness of pharmaceutical services in achieving treatment objectives. This study assessed the level of client satisfaction with the services of an outpatient pharmacy at a university hospital in Nigeria. An online-based cross-sectional study was conducted among clients who visited the University Medical Centre at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nsukka campus, within the period of 15th September to 15th October 2023. A 2-section, 30-item, validated, semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used in the study. Descriptive statistics were used to describe all the study variables, while independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to determine the mean difference in satisfaction level among various sociodemographic characteristics. The statistical significance level was set at p < 0.05. Out of the 166 participants in the study (response rate = 83%), the majority were students (n = 111, 66.9%) and receiving free medication (n = 117, 70.5%). The overall mean satisfaction score for pharmacy services was 3.11 out of a maximum score of 5.00. Notably, mean scores for most of the items exceeded 3.00, with the highest mean score obtained for the items “The privacy of my conversations with the pharmacist” (3.59) and “The fairness of the cost of medications in the pharmacy” (3.46), while the lowest scores were for the items “The way my pharmacist works together with my doctor to make sure my medications are the best for me” (2.50) and “The availability of medications that are prescribed to me in the pharmacy” (2.63). First-time visitors reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction than return visitors [3.77 (0.686) vs. 3.07 (0.637), p < 0.001]. Clients of the outpatient pharmacy showed a moderate level of satisfaction with the pharmacy services offered to them. The reasons for this level of satisfaction lay a foundation for the improvement of pharmacy services in Nigeria's tertiary hospitals.