Drug Management and Service Quality in Outpatient Pharmacies at the Haji Padjonga Daeng Ngalle Regional General Public Hospital in Takalar Regency, Indonesia

Abstract

Background: The provision of comprehensive individual health care services in outpatient units is intricately linked to drug management practices and the quality of available pharmacy services, ensuring optimal medication supply and use. Objective: This study aimed to assess the practices of drug management and the quality of outpatient pharmacy services at Haji Padjonga Daeng Ngalle (HPDN) Regional General Public Hospital in Takalar Regency, Indonesia. Method: The evaluation of drug management involves conducting in-depth interviews in the outpatient unit, focusing on planning, budgeting, procurement, storage, and distribution, compared with government regulatory standards. The quality of pharmacy services was assessed using the Solvin technique with 100 respondents, evaluating five dimensions: physical evidence, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy, using the servqual questionnaire with a Likert scale (ranging from very dissatisfied = 1, dissatisfied = 2, somewhat satisfied = 3, satisfied = 4, to very satisfied = 5). Results: Research findings indicated the level of compliance of drug management with regulations as follows: planning (66.67%), budgeting (60%), procurement (100%), storage (100%), and distribution (100%). The quality of pharmacy services demonstrated high questionnaire validity (r ≥ 0.714), and the average dimension was a score of 4, indicating satisfactory satisfaction levels. Conclusion: This study reflects HPDN hospital’s compliance with regulations while identifying specific areas for improvement to enhance the quality of pharmacy services. Keywords: Drug management, patient service quality, hospital, outpatient unit