Quality-improvement initiatives focused on enhancing customer service in the outpatient pharmacy.
OBJECTIVE
The development and implementation of quality-improvement initiatives to enhance customer service in an outpatient pharmacy of a Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center are described.


CONCLUSIONS
Historically low customer service satisfaction rates with the outpatient pharmacy at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center prompted this quality-improvement project. A three-question survey was designed to be easily and quickly administered to veterans in the outpatient pharmacy waiting area. Using 5-point Likert scale, veterans were asked to rate (1) their overall experience with the outpatient pharmacy service and (2) their satisfaction with the customer service provided by the pharmacy department. They were also asked how they thought the pharmacy department could improve its customer service. After receiving feedback from the survey, several quality-improvement initiatives were developed. The initiatives were categorized as environmental, personnel, communicative, and technological. For each initiative, one or more tasks were developed and the initiatives were subsequently implemented over eight months. After each task was completed, veterans were surveyed to measure the impact of the change. A total of 79 veterans were surveyed before the implementation of the quality-improvement initiatives, and 49% and 68% rated their experience with the outpatient pharmacy and customer service favorably, respectively. Twenty-five veterans were surveyed after the implementation of numerous quality-improvement interventions, with 44% and 72% rating their experience with the outpatient pharmacy and customer service favorably.


CONCLUSIONS
Customer service satisfaction with an outpatient pharmacy service at a VA medical center was enhanced through the implementation of various quality-improvement initiatives.
Tenley J. Poulin, Pharm.D., BCPS, is Clinical Pharmacist, Department of Pharmacy, Christiana Care Hospital, Newark, DE; at the time of writing she was Postgraduate Year 1 Pharmacy Practice Resident, Department of Pharmacy, Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center (PVAMC), Philadelphia, PA. Kevin T. Bain, Pharm.D., M.P.H., BCPS, CGP, CPH, is Vice President of Medication Risk Mitigation, Department of Pharmacy, CareKinesis, Moorestown, NJ; at the time of writing he was Associate Service Chief, Department of Pharmacy, PVAMC. Bonnie K. Balderose, Pharm.D., M.H.A., is Chief, Department of Pharmacy, PVAMC. tpoulin@christianacare.org.
Tenley J
TJ
Poulin
Tenley J. Poulin, Pharm.D., BCPS, is Clinical Pharmacist, Department of Pharmacy, Christiana Care Hospital, Newark, DE; at the time of writing she was Postgraduate Year 1 Pharmacy Practice Resident, Department of Pharmacy, Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center (PVAMC), Philadelphia, PA. Kevin T. Bain, Pharm.D., M.P.H., BCPS, CGP, CPH, is Vice President of Medication Risk Mitigation, Department of Pharmacy, CareKinesis, Moorestown, NJ; at the time of writing he was Associate Service Chief, Department of Pharmacy, PVAMC. Bonnie K. Balderose, Pharm.D., M.H.A., is Chief, Department of Pharmacy, PVAMC.
Kevin T
KT
Bain
Tenley J. Poulin, Pharm.D., BCPS, is Clinical Pharmacist, Department of Pharmacy, Christiana Care Hospital, Newark, DE; at the time of writing she was Postgraduate Year 1 Pharmacy Practice Resident, Department of Pharmacy, Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center (PVAMC), Philadelphia, PA. Kevin T. Bain, Pharm.D., M.P.H., BCPS, CGP, CPH, is Vice President of Medication Risk Mitigation, Department of Pharmacy, CareKinesis, Moorestown, NJ; at the time of writing he was Associate Service Chief, Department of Pharmacy, PVAMC. Bonnie K. Balderose, Pharm.D., M.H.A., is Chief, Department of Pharmacy, PVAMC.
Bonnie K
BK
Balderose
D003142:Communication; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D010045:Outpatients; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs