Evaluation of factors which affect patient waiting time of daily care centre (out-patient pharmacy) at Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah, Terengganu

Background: Waiting time for out-patient pharmacy has been considered as a serious problem in Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah, Terengganu (HSNZ) since it acts as barriers to efficient patient flow. Besides, out-patient pharmacy is considered as the window to hospital services since patient impression of the hospital begins at the pharmacy. Therefore, in order to reduce patient waiting time, its factors should be addressed to overcome this problem.

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to determine patients' waiting time, patient's satisfaction, reasons that affect patients' waiting time and to evaluate the relationship of patients' waiting time and its factors at DCC, HSNZ.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted for a month in December 2017 (1/12/2017 - 31/12/2017) to address factors that affect patients' waiting time at Daily-Care-Centre (DCC) of Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah, Terengganu. All patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria within this period were included in this study which was all patients who visited DCC to get their medication while there was small group of patients which were excluded in this study that were all patients who would take their medication on the next day, dyslexia patients and patients who were unwilling to participate in this study. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to respondents to document patients' waiting time and their satisfactions. The questionnaire consisted of demographic data, patient waiting time, level of satisfaction (see appendix). The data was analyzed by using descriptive analysis and pearson correlation via statistical software SPSS version 21. Results and Discussion: The result highlighted that the average of patients' waiting time at out-patient pharmacy was 38.89 minutes and the mean of patients' satisfactions was 3.66 out of five. A total of 375 questionnaires were returned. The factors or problems that affect patients' waiting time were identified which included the complicated process from patients' arrival at out-patient pharmacy to departure, shortage of staff in out­patient pharmacy, the propensity for patients to arrive earlier than their given appointment and insufficient stock at out-patient pharmacy. Conclusion: Ministry of Health (MOH) had launched a programme which called Pharmacy Value Added Services (VAS) which comprised of SMS and Take, Call and Take, Integrated Drug Dispensing System (SPUB) and Drive-Thru services in order to reduce patients' waiting time but an initiative need to be taken to promote this programme so, it could be known by more people. In conclusion, determining the factors or reasons that cause lengthy waiting time and possibly making improvements for the hospital services in reducing the waiting times might worth the study.