The study of Value Added Services (VAS) in Selayang Hospital

Introduction
Value-added Services (VAS) is a system that has been established by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOHM) to improve patient oriented pharmaceutical care services to promote health, to upgrade the dispensing system and to increase patients’ satisfaction towards the services that was given by pharmacy in Malaysia (Christine et al, 2016). VAS can also be defined as any pharmacy activities or practices introduced or initiated by pharmacists through innovation and creativity to facilitate the refill of medications while increase patients’ convenience (MOH Malaysia, 2011). There are five types of VAS that have been introduced to patients in Hospital Selayang such as Integrated Drug Dispensing System (SPUB), Pharmacy Drive Through, Courier Services (UMP), SMS and Take and Appointment Card Dispensing System.
Objective
The objectives of this study were to evaluate the impacts of value-added services on the patients waiting time and percentage prescription dispensed within 30 minutes in Out-Patient Department and also to identify the uttermost and the lowest Value- added Services that was choose by patients in Hospital Selayang.
Methods
The data were collected by accessing Value Added Services (VAS) Excel record from Pharmacy Department of Selayang Hospital. The record contains the total number of patients who used VAS from January to November 2017. There are five types of VAS identified which are Courier Services (UMP), Integrated Drug Dispensing System (SPUB), Drive Through Pharmacy, Appointment Card and SMS and Take Service. The data were analysed by using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) Version 16.0 and Microsoft Word. A linear regression analysis was used to determine the impact of increased VAS uptake towards patient waiting time.
Results
The study was found that patient waiting time was affected by the number of VAS prescriptions following Pearson correlation test. The results indicates that there is a strong negative correlation (r=-0.756; p<0.01) between that variables. About 57.2% of the variation in total waiting time in out-patient pharmacy is explained by total patients’ prescription of VAS that can be confirmed by simple regression analysis. The mean of waiting time per year was also affected by the using of VAS, which was decreased from 13.12 to 2.96, (p=0.007). The mean percentage of prescription served less than 30 minutes increased from 80% to 94%, (p=0.022). It was also found that total prescription dispensed within 30 minutes also was affected by the number of VAS prescription following Pearson correlation test r=0.679, (p<0.05). The results indicate that there is a strong positive correlation between those two variables. About 46.1% of the variation in total prescription dispensed within 30 minutes is explained by total patients’ prescription of VAS that can be confirmed by simple regression analysis. Mean percentage of prescription dispensed within 30 minutes is increasing from 80.06% to 94.33%.
Conclusion
All VAS is very important to ensure the efficiency of service in pharmacy. Good service is beneficial for patients as it can reduce the waiting time. Patient waiting time at the Pharmacy of Selayang Hospital improved with the increased in VAS registration. The impact of increased VAS uptake on patient waiting time resulted from reduction in refill prescriptions.