On September 3, 2024, a study carried out by Hospital del Mar and the College of Pharmacists of Barcelona, in collaboration with the Catalan Health Service, was released, highlighting patient satisfaction with the Outpatient Dispensing Hospital Medication (MHDA) delivery model through community pharmacies. The study, which included 1,286 patients, revealed that those who chose to pick up their medication at community pharmacies were significantly satisfied with this service.
The results are clear: 92.5% of patients consider the care received at community pharmacies to be satisfactory or very satisfactory. Additionally, 88.1% of respondents positively evaluated the waiting time for medication collection, and 79.4% expressed satisfaction with the information provided about their treatment.
Jordi Casas, president of the College of Pharmacists of Barcelona, stated that these results demonstrate the importance of coordination between different care areas to improve patient care. He emphasized that having a pharmacist, whether from the hospital or the community pharmacy, always in charge of medication ensures proper medication management. He also pointed out that the agility and proximity of community pharmacies are key elements that contribute to improving therapeutic adherence and the quality of life of patients.
Dr. Olivia Ferrández and Dr. Santi Grau, responsible for the study, highlighted that the proximity in accessing medication has had a positive impact on the evaluation of this new model. This aspect has allowed patients to avoid trips to the hospital, reducing waiting times and facilitating a more satisfactory experience.
The initiative, which aims to provide an alternative in the delivery of hospital medication, has been expanded throughout Catalonia, involving 36 hospitals and nearly 3,000 community pharmacies. Marta Roig, director of Medication at the Barcelona Health Consortium, also emphasized the importance of advancing in this proximity model, emphasizing the need for studies to evaluate the patient experience within the framework of the hospital medication delivery model transformation project.
The study included various pathologies and focused on patients with stable chronic treatments, those with clinical or social fragility, immunocompromised individuals, and people who live a certain distance from the hospital. This research, conducted between January and June 2022, is part of a pioneering initiative in Spain that began in March 2020 in response to the pandemic and has proven to be effective and appreciated by patients.
Referrer: MiMub in Spanish
