Client and pharmacist perceptions about community pharmacy service quality

Abstract

This study aimed to compare client and pharmacist evaluations on community pharmacy service quality, and to identify client perceived service quality of community pharmacy service by using Gap Model as a theoretical framework. Client-pharmacist encounter was a unit of analysis. Community pharmacies in Bangkok, Samuthprakan, Prathumthani, and Nonthaburi province, Thailand, were included as a sample of the current study. The questionnaire included six dimensions of the community pharmacy services which were tangibles (5 items), assurance (5 items), reliability (2 items), responsiveness (6 items), empathy (7 items) and communication (3 items). Clients were asked to identify their expectation levels of pharmacy services and evaluate pharmacists service performance and pharmacists also were asked to self-evaluate their service performance immediately at the counter after target client encountering with pharmacist using an 11 point scale. Client perceived service quality of community pharmacy service was calculated by the different score between client desired service expectation level and client evaluation on community pharmacy service performance. The results showed that mean scores of client evaluation on pharmacist service quality on tangibles, assurance, reliability, responsiveness, empathy, and communication were 7.7, 8.38, 8.47, 8.7, 8.26 and 8.58, respectively. There was significant discrepancy between pharmacist and client evaluations on community pharmacy service quality in tangibles, assurance, reliability, and communication dimension. In terms of tangibles, assurance, reliability, responsiveness, empathy, and communication, the mean scores of client desired expectation were 8.46, 9.06, 9.39, 9.15, 8.76 and 8.98, respectively. Using gap analysis, the mean scores of client perceived service quality on tangibles, assurance, reliability, responsiveness, empathy, and communication were -0.76, -0.68, -0.92, -0.45, -0.5 and -0.4, respectively which meantthat client dissatisfied with all dimensions of community pharmacy services. Therefore, the policy maker, pharmacist and owner should realize that client evaluation on pharmacist service quality appeared never exceed client desired expectation level in order to better tailor its marketing effort to ensure client expectations are met. They should consider client and pharmacist evaluation discrepancy information as well before designing any strategy to gain satisfaction from clients