PSNC and DoH publish details of community pharmacy patient questionnaire
requirements
Details of the community pharmacy patient questionnaire (formerly referred to as the patient satisfaction questionnaire) were published last week by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee and the Department of Health.
Conducting an annual
patient survey is a requirement for all contractors
in England and Wales as part of the clinical governance arrangements
of the community pharmacy contract (PJ, 24 March, p338). From April,
contractors must carry out an annual patient survey based on a national
template questionnaire. Contractors may add additional questions provided
they are related to the provision of health care services. A minimum
return rate is specified depending on dispensing volume.
The requirements state that the questionnaire must be free from advertisements
and must be accompanied by an explanation as to what it is for and how
to complete it, at least two options for it to be returned, and details
of what will be done with the responses. They also stipulate that questionnaires
must be given to a range of patients to reflect the different services
and opening hours of the pharmacy.
Alastair Buxton, head of NHS services at the PSNC, said: “The questionnaire
provides an invaluable opportunity for pharmacy contractors to learn
more about how their patients view the service they provide. The results
will help them to develop their business and will, I am sure, demonstrate
how much local people value the service that community pharmacies provide
every day.”
Gianpiero Celino, director at Webstar Health, which is providing a patient
survey support service to community pharmacy, said that pharmacists can
be apprehensive about running surveys with patients. “However,
based on our experience of surveying over 10,000 patients in community
pharmacy, we know that by taking time to plan and by delegating to their
staff pharmacists should find the experience rewarding and informative.
It is important not to underestimate how much time will be needed. … Making an early start is a must,” he said.
The PSNC will send details of the questionnaire to every pharmacy contractor
with the next issue of PSNC Community Pharmacy News. The survey can also
be downloaded from the PSNC
website
|
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
Acrobat
Reader