Pharmacy Survey on Patient Safety Culture
Composite-Level and Item-Level Results by Number Of Prescriptions Filled Per Week
Tables 26 through 29 show the average percent positive scores on the survey composites and items across pilot study pharmacies by number of prescriptions filled per week (1,500 or fewer vs. 1,501 or more), which can be considered a proxy for pharmacy size/productivity.
There was no consistent finding by number of prescriptions filled per week. For 6 of 11 composites, pharmacies with 1,500 or fewer prescriptions scored higher. Item-level results also showed that smaller pharmacies scored higher for some items and larger pharmacies scored higher for others.
Note: The number of pharmacies and respondents by number of prescriptions filled per week are collapsed into two categories in each table. However, the precise number of pharmacies and respondents corresponding to each data cell in a table varies because of individual nonresponse/missing data.
Table 26. Composite-Level Average Percent Positive Response by Number of Prescriptions Filled per Week
| Number of Prescriptions Filled | ||
|---|---|---|
| Patient Safety Culture Composites | 1,500 or Fewer per Week | 1,501 or More per Week |
| # Pharmacies | 31 | 24 |
| # Respondents | 217 | 262 |
| 1. Patient Counseling | 89% | 91% |
| 2. Communication Openness | 87% | 86% |
| 3. Overall Perceptions of Patient Safety | 81% | 86% |
| 4. Organizational Learning—Continuous Improvement | 83% | 84% |
| 5. Teamwork | 82% | 79% |
| 6. Communication About Prescriptions Across Shifts | 79% | 83% |
| 7. Communication About Mistakes | 78% | 81% |
| 8. Response to Mistakes | 83% | 74% |
| 9. Staff Training and Skills | 80% | 79% |
| 10. Physical Space and Environment | 77% | 66% |
| 11. Staffing, Work Pressure, & Pace | 43% | 40% |
| Average Across Composites | 78% | 77% |
Table 27. Item-Level Average Percent Positive Response by Number of Prescriptions Filled per Week
| Number of Prescriptions Filled | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey Items by Composite | 1,500 or Fewer per Week | 1,501 or More per Week | |
| # Pharmacies | 31 | 24 | |
| # Respondents | 217 | 262 | |
| 1. Patient Counseling | |||
| 1. We encourage patients to talk to pharmacists about their medications. (B2) | 89% | 95% | |
| 2. Our pharmacists spend enough time talking to patients about how to use their medications. (B7) | 86% | 86% | |
| 3. Our pharmacists tell patients important information about their new prescriptions. (B11) | 93% | 93% | |
| 2. Communication Openness | |||
| 1. Staff ideas and suggestions are valued in this pharmacy. (B1) | 83% | 78% | |
| 2. Staff feel comfortable asking questions when they are unsure about something. (B5) | 91% | 91% | |
| 3. It is easy for staff to speak up to their supervisor/manager about patient safety concerns in this pharmacy. (B10) | 87% | 89% | |
| 3. Overall Perceptions of Patient Safety | |||
| 1. This pharmacy places more emphasis on sales than on patient safety. (C3R) | 77% | 84% | |
| 2. This pharmacy is good at preventing mistakes. (C6) | 84% | 85% | |
| 3. The way we do things in this pharmacy reflects a strong focus on patient safety. (C9) | 83% | 89% | |
| 4. Organizational Learning—Continuous Improvement | |||
| 1. When a mistake happens, we try to figure out what problems in the work process led to the mistake. (C2) | 89% | 91% | |
| 2. When the same mistake keeps happening, we change the way we do things. (C5) | 81% | 83% | |
| 3. Mistakes have led to positive changes in this pharmacy. (C10) | 80% | 77% | |
| 5. Teamwork | |||
| 1. Staff treat each other with respect. (A2) | 83% | 73% | |
| 2. Staff in this pharmacy clearly understand their roles and responsibilities. (A4) | 80% | 83% | |
| 3. Staff work together as an effective team. (A9) | 83% | 81% | |
Note: The item’s survey location is shown after the item text. An “R” indicates a negatively worded item, where the percent positive response is based on those who responded “Strongly disagree” or “Disagree,” or “Never” or “Rarely” (depending on the response category used for the item).
Table 27. Item-level Average Percent Positive Response by Number of Prescriptions Filled per Week, continued
| Number of Prescriptions Filled | ||
|---|---|---|
| Survey Items by Composite | 1,500 or Fewer per Week | 1,501 or More per Week |
| # Pharmacies | 31 | 24 |
| # Respondents | 217 | 262 |
| 6. Communication About Prescriptions Across Shifts | ||
| 1. We have clear expectations about exchanging important prescription information across shifts. (B4) | 84% | 84% |
| 2. We have standard procedures for communicating prescription information across shifts. (B6) | 74% | 83% |
| 3. The status of problematic prescriptions is well communicated across shifts. (B14) | 80% | 82% |
| 7. Communication About Mistakes | ||
| 1. Staff in this pharmacy discuss mistakes. (B8) | 73% | 75% |
| 2. When patient safety issues occur in this pharmacy, staff discuss them. (B13) | 84% | 84% |
| 3. In this pharmacy, we talk about ways to prevent mistakes from happening again. (B15) | 78% | 84% |
| 8. Response to Mistakes | ||
| 1. Staff are treated fairly when they make mistakes. (C1) | 87% | 72% |
| 2. This pharmacy helps staff learn from their mistakes rather than punishing them. (C4) | 88% | 80% |
| 3. We look at staff actions and the way we do things to understand why mistakes happen in this pharmacy. (C7) | 85% | 83% |
| 4. Staff feel like their mistakes are held against them. (C8R) | 75% | 62% |
| 9. Staff Training and Skills | ||
| 1. Technicians in this pharmacy receive the training they need to do their jobs. (A3) | 80% | 84% |
| 2. Staff in this pharmacy have the skills they need to do their jobs well. (A6) | 86% | 87% |
| 3. Staff who are new to this pharmacy receive adequate orientation. (A8) | 75% | 68% |
| 4. Staff get enough training from this pharmacy. (A10) | 78% | 76% |
Note: The item’s survey location is shown after the item text. An “R” indicates a negatively worded item, where the percent positive response is based on those who responded “Strongly disagree” or “Disagree,” or “Never” or “Rarely” (depending on the response category used for the item).
Table 27. Item-level Average Percent Positive Response by Number of Prescriptions Filled per Week, continued
| Number of Prescriptions Filled | ||
|---|---|---|
| Survey Items by Composite | 1,500 or Fewer per Week | 1,501 or More per Week |
| # Pharmacies | 31 | 24 |
| # Respondents | 217 | 262 |
| 10. Physical Space and Environment | ||
| 1. This pharmacy is well organized. (A1) | 86% | 82% |
| 2. This pharmacy is free of clutter. (A5) | 73% | 60% |
| 3. The physical layout of this pharmacy supports good workflow. (A7) | 72% | 57% |
| 11. Staffing, Work Pressure, & Pace | ||
| 1. Staff take adequate breaks during their shifts. (B3) | 52% | 61% |
| 2. We feel rushed when processing prescriptions. (B9R) | 14% | 14% |
| 3. We have enough staff to handle the workload. (B12) | 60% | 52% |
| 4. Interruptions/distractions in this pharmacy (from phone calls, faxes, customers, etc.) make it difficult for staff to work accurately. (B16R) | 44% | 34% |
Note: The item’s survey location is shown after the item text. An “R” indicates a negatively worded item, where the percent positive response is based on those who responded “Strongly disagree” or “Disagree,” or “Never” or “Rarely” (depending on the response category used for the item).
Table 28. Results for Documenting Mistakes by Number of Prescriptions Filled per Week
| Number of Prescriptions Filled | ||
|---|---|---|
| Survey Items | 1,500 or Fewer per Week | 1,501 or More per Week |
| # Pharmacies | 31 | 24 |
| # Respondents | 217 | 262 |
| When a mistake reaches the patient and could cause harm but does not, how often is it documented? (D1) | ||
| Always documented | 1% | 2% |
| Most of the time documented | 2% | 2% |
| Sometimes documented | 7% | 5% |
| Rarely documented | 15% | 12% |
| Never documented | 75% | 79% |
| When a mistake reaches the patient but has no potential to harm the patient, how often is it documented? (D2) | ||
| Always documented | 1% | 3% |
| Most of the time documented | 4% | 2% |
| Sometimes documented | 8% | 7% |
| Rarely documented | 21% | 16% |
| Never documented | 66% | 73% |
| When a mistake that could have harmed the patient is corrected BEFORE the medication leaves the pharmacy, how often is it documented? (D3) | ||
| Always documented | 18% | 16% |
| Most of the time documented | 24% | 24% |
| Sometimes documented | 24% | 15% |
| Rarely documented | 17% | 18% |
| Never documented | 17% | 27% |
Table 29. Results for Overall Rating on Patient Safety by Number of Prescriptions Filled per Week
| Number of Prescriptions Filled | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating on Patient Safety |
1,500 or Fewer per Week |
1,501 or More per Week |
| # Pharmacies | 31 | 24 |
| # Respondents | 217 | 262 |
| Excellent | 39% | 42% |
| Very Good | 42% | 47% |
| Good | 12% | 9% |
| Fair | 6% | 2% |
| Poor | 1% | 0% |
Page originally created September 2012
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