Profile of Existing Pharmacists and Patient Perceptions of Pharmaceutical Services at Pharmacies in East Java

Abstract

The role of pharmacists in pharmaceutical services requires pharmacists to build professional and courtesy expectations to provide better pharmaceutical services. This study aims to describe the existing conditions of pharmaceutical practices for pharmacist and patient perceptions of pharmaceutical services in pharmacies. A descriptive observational study with cross sectional design was conducted on 29 pharmacists and 53 patients in East Java. The variable of this research is the pharmacist's image which is measured by competence, ethics, communication skills, and emotional intelligence. The results showed that 100% of pharmacists believe in their competence, ethics, and communication skills. As many as 62% of pharmacists have a moderate category on the dimensions of emotional intelligence. The patients' perceptions of pharmacists for competence, ethics, and communication skills were 96.2%, 96.2%, and 92.5%, respectively. The respondents, both pharmacists, and patients, have a good perception of the pharmaceutical services provided by pharmacists. However, the emotional intelligence of pharmacist needs to be improved.