Study Site
The survey conducted on patients’ satisfaction of outpatient pharmacy services for the period of three months (January to March 2021) at two tertiary care hospitals in Tabuk city and belongs to the Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. The Institutional Review Board, Health Affairs, Tabuk approved this study (reference number TU 077/020/070).
The first hospital is a tertiary care hospital consisted of 300 beds. It has adult emergency care, ambulatory care services and a diabetic center with different medical specialties and surgical wards. The hospital has pharmaceutical care department that consists of inpatient pharmacy, outpatient and emergency pharmacies with limited clinical pharmacy services. The pharmacy services are provided through a very comprehensive computerized physician order entry and unit dose distribution system. The pharmacy department provides total parenteral nutrition services and IV admixture for adult patients, drug information services, medication safety services and total quality management services.
The second hospital consists of 270 beds. It has an emergency services for adults, ambulatory care clinics and surgical and medical wards for inpatient adults care. The pharmacy includes inpatient pharmacy, emergency pharmacy and outpatient care pharmacy services. The pharmacy provides clinical activities through total parenteral nutrition, and medications safety.