지역약국 내 칸막이로 분리된 공간에서의 커뮤니케이션에 대한 환자만족도

Patient Satisfaction with Communication in Semi-closed Partitioned Space of Community Pharmacy

The counseling environment is an important element for optimal pharmacy communication between patient and pharmacist. This study investigated patients’ satisfaction with communication in a semi-closed space (SCS) separated by a partition compared to an open space (OS) such as a general counter, using a 16-items questionnaire during September to October 2021, in one community pharmacy located in Chungcheong-do. Of the 133 study participants, 51.1% were new visitors to the pharmacy and 79.7% had no experience of communication in a separate space like a SCS. Relative excellence in terms of communication factors, such as delivering medication information, asking about something, a comfortable counseling atmosphere, focusing on conversation, confidential conversation, and not exposing to somebody else, was found to be more than 90%. In pharmacy frequent users (more than three times a month), the relative excellence was shown in comfortable counseling atmosphere (OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.13-6.03) and conversations not exposing to somebody else (OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.28-5.52). Overall satisfaction with SCS compared to OS was 91.7%, which was significantly higher in pharmacy frequent users (p=0.042). 86.5% wished medication counseling in SCS in the future. Efforts are needed to set up a separate counseling space in pharmacies.