Purpose: Community pharmacists' role is shifting from product-oriented function towards patient-centered care. The patient-centered role of pharmacists is undervalued, as the public is unaware of pharmacists' role. This study aims to identify patients' perceptions and satisfaction with pharmaceutical care services and factors affecting their preferences for community pharmacy services.
Patients and methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted for three months on patients visiting registered community pharmacies in Kathmandu metropolitan ward number 10.
Results: Out of 406 participants, 30.5% perceive pharmacists to have a balance between business and health aspects of pharmacy practices; 29.1% view them as drug experts; and 11.8% consider pharmacists to be more concerned with business. 43.8% of participants were found to discuss their drug-related queries with pharmacists, possibly due to low treatment costs. Approximately 77% of respondents had no hesitancy when contacting pharmacists for health-related information because they believed pharmacists were sufficiently qualified to address drug-related questions. Around 88% of respondents agreed that the role of pharmacists is to counsel the patient about the directions for the use of medications. The level of satisfaction indicated that 72.4% are highly satisfied with pharmacy services. In addition, patients feel comfortable discussing their health with pharmacists due to their ability to protect the privacy of their medical records. In contrast, more trust in doctors seems to be the most common barrier for patients visiting pharmacists.
Conclusion: Overall, pharmacists were regarded as the most trusted health care personnel to contact. However, to facilitate the expansion of pharmaceutical care services, the public should be aware of their distinctive professional talents. It is recommended for future researchers to understand the subjective perspective of pharmacy staff, managers, and pharmaceutical policy makers.
Keywords: Nepal; community pharmacist; community pharmacy services; perception.
© 2023 Ojha et al.