Development and validation of a Spanish language patient satisfaction questionnaire with drug dispensing

Objective: To develop and validate a specific questionnaire about patient satisfaction with drug dispensing at Spanish community pharmacies. Method: A self-administered semi-structured questionnaire was designed centered on the perception of the patients with the dispensing service. To validate this questionnaire, it was administered at Spanish community pharmacies, which voluntarily agreed to participate in the study for a period of 2 months (March and April 2006). Patients or caregivers who were able to read and write were included in the study. Main outcome measure: Scores of the items related to satisfaction with the dispensing service. Results: The questionnaire consisted of: an introduction, 10 closed questions in an interval scale of five points, an open section to express comments, and finally demographic data of the patients. Twenty-seven community pharmacies participated in the validation, and 561 questionnaires were obtained with a response percentage of 56.5%. A Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.91 was obtained. The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin coefficient was 0.92, and the extraction of the principal components revealed a unique component explaining 55.2% of the total variance. About 15.5% of patients made additional comments that praised the quality of attention received and other aspects of the service such as the amiability and friendliness shown by pharmacy staff. Conclusion: The questionnaire developed shows evidence of validity and reliability for evaluating patient satisfaction with the dispensing service in community Pharmacies in Spain.