Perceptions and Satisfaction of Pharmacy Staff towards the OrientationProgram at the Specialized Hospitals in Qatar: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Quality health personnel are an important asset to the healthcare institution which will benefit the patients and the society. Objective: To study pharmacists’ and pharmacy technicians’ perceptions and satisfaction towards the structured pharmacy orientation program at two specialized hospitals. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted from January 2010 till April 2013 using an online validated and piloted questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 3 parts: Pharmacy staff socio-demographic and practice characteristics, perceptions and satisfaction. There were 8 perception statements related to the orientation’s site, 11 perception statements related to the mentors, and an overall satisfaction question. A five points Likert type scale was used in the questionnaire. The self- administered survey was distributed to 64 newly pharmacy staff upon the completion of their orientation program using Survey Monkey®. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 64 pharmacy staff completed the survey; 42 (66%) were pharmacists and 22 (34%) were pharmacy technicians. The overall pharmacy staff satisfaction towards the orientation program was 94%. Fifty six (88%) of respondents agreed that the orientation at the site was adequate, 60 (94%) of pharmacy staff agreed that the mentor provided constructive criticism on interpersonal skills with staff and patients whenever needed, 59 (92%) of pharmacy staff agreed that the mentor displayed professional attitude and motivation. Conclusion: The newly developed orientation system was successful in achieving high satisfaction level among pharmacy staffs in different aspects. This study helped in assessing and improving the orientation system in our institution and could improve work quality at workplace. The experience and findings could be shared and the orientation could be done in other hospitals.