Seeking feedback from patients on your pharmacy’s service is an important part of your personal development, as well as your company’s, says Joanne Taylor

Every pharmacy is required to do an annual community pharmacy patient questionnaire to give patients the opportunity to comment on their pharmacy and the services it provides. The clinical governance requirements of the contract state that the survey must be completed by the end of March, so in our company, running it from October to December fits in with our needs. At Vittoria Healthcare, it is our medicines counter assistants (MCAs) who take responsibility for rolling out the questionnaire in each branch.

MCAs are frontline staff and enjoy being involved in such an important part of customer relations. The questions were agreed by the Department of Health and the PSNC. The use of this nationwide set of questions meant that when it was rolled out initially, the pharmacies found that they produced useful results, which they could compare with other pharmacies. So once the questionnaires have been completed, what happens next? The forms are sent off for analysis.

There are companies that can do this for you, or your head office may do it. Once the results come back, the pharmacy must publish the results of the survey – either in the pharmacy as a leaflet or poster, on the pharmacy’s website, or on the pharmacy’s NHS Choices web page, if available. The report will give you an idea about the areas where the pharmacy is performing well, and the areas that need improvement, as well as an account of the action taken or intended.

The results will also be used to look at how the pharmacy can develop or improve its service and, in our company, the results are shared and discussed with the whole pharmacy team so that everyone is involved with any changes that may need to be implemented. It’s great for staff morale when positive comments are received and also for staff development as any training needed for the delivery of new services requested can be included in their own personal development plan (PDP). So how does this affect you as an integral part of the pharmacy team where you work?

Have a think about what has been highlighted from your patients and how this could be used in a positive way to develop your career. What could you include in your PDP that will be of benefit to you and your patients? And remember, all feedback, whether it’s negative or positive, is always good as it gives us the opportunity to improve.

Joanne is a registered pharmacy technician and ACPT, and is professional standards lead at Vittoria Healthcare. She is national secretary for the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK), and is a member of the Medicines Rebalancing Programme Board at the Department of Health as well as TM’s editorial advisory panel.