Patient satisfaction with outpatient pharmaceutical services.

Patient characteristics and satisfaction with outpatient pharmaceutical services at a large university hospital were assessed. A mail questionnaire was sent to 700 outpatients selected at random. Most questions had fixed-format answers. Of the 388 (58%) returned surveys, 335 (50%) were usable. A large segment of the respondents (40%) were between the ages of 18 and 34. Fifty-nine percent of the respondents paid for their own prescriptions, and this group was less likely to fill their prescriptions at the university pharmacy. Of the patients who received prescriptions but did not have them filled at the university, 29% were unaware of the existence of the pharmacy, 36% found the pharmacy inconvenient for refills, and 21% thought that the waiting time to get their prescriptions filled was too long. Of the respondents who received prescriptions, 46% ahd them filled at the university pharmacy. Convenience (55%), availability of medications (19%), and low prices (12%) were the major reasons given for going to the university pharmacy. No association was found between the distance from the university and the internal retention rate for prescriptions. Of those who went to the university pharmacy, 94% were satisfied with the services they received.