Evaluation of consumer satisfaction using the tetra-class model.

Background: A number of studies have shown the importance of consumers' satisfaction toward pharmacy services. The measurement of patient satisfaction through different elements of services provided is challenging within the context of a dynamic economic environment. Patient satisfaction is the result of long-term established habits and expectations to the pharmacy as an institution. Few studies to date have attempted to discern whether these changes have led to increased patient satisfaction and loyalty, particularly within developing nations.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the elements of the services provided in Bulgarian pharmacies and their contribution to consumer satisfaction using a tetra-class model. Three main hypotheses were tested in pharmacies to validate the model in the case of complex services. Additionally, the contribution of the different service elements to the clients' satisfaction was studied.

Methods: The analysis was based on a survey of customers in central and district pharmacies in Sofia, Bulgaria. The data were analyzed through a correspondence analysis which was applied to the results of the 752 distributed questionnaires.

Results: It was observed that different dimensions of the pharmacies contribute uniquely to customer satisfaction, with consumer gender contributing greatly toward satisfaction, with type/location of pharmacy, consumer age, and educational degree also playing a part. The duration of time over which the consumers have been clients at a given pharmacy influences the subsequent service categorization.

Conclusions: This research demonstrated that the tetra-class model is suitable for application in the pharmaceutical sector. The model results could be beneficial for both researchers and pharmacy managers.