J.D. Power Reports: Pharmacists and Staff Play Increasingly Important Roles in Customer Satisfaction

Pharmacist and staff interactions with customers are increasingly important drivers of satisfaction and share of wallet for both brick and mortar as well as mail order pharmacies, while the speed of delivering and ease of ordering medication also drives satisfaction with mail order pharmacies, according to the J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Pharmacy Study released today. Overall satisfaction with chain drug store (840 on a 1,000-point scale), supermarket (843) and mail order (822) pharmacies increases in 2014—up year over year by 12, 8 and 25 points, respectively—while satisfaction with mass merchandiser pharmacies (830) remains relatively even with 2013. The gap in satisfaction between brick and mortar and mail order remains stable year over year at 25 points. The importance of customers interacting with a pharmacist increases across the four pharmacy segments in 2014. Satisfaction improves notably when pharmacists explain the potential side effects of medication to customers as well as costs they may incur. In brick and mortar stores, speaking to a pharmacist increases store spending. "For brick and mortar pharmacies, ensuring pharmacists are directly interacting with customers is one of the keys to delivering a satisfactory experience. For mail order pharmacies, it's critical that customers have easy access to a pharmacist through such channels as a phone number that is easy to access and online chat," said Rick Johnson, director of the healthcare practice at J.D. Power. "However, only 1 in 25 customers initiate a conversation with a pharmacist in a brick and mortar store, so it's essential for staff to ask customers if they would like to speak with a pharmacist. In the mail order segment, just 1 in 10 customers interact with a pharmacist, and satisfaction is high among those who use the chat feature." Topics of conversations with a pharmacist and store staff that impact overall satisfaction the most are ensuring a continuous supply of medication; taking the time to clearly explain medications or costs; and providing customers with access to health and wellness care. KEY FINDINGS

Rankings Among brick and mortar pharmacies, Good Neighbor Pharmacy (884) ranks highest in the chain drug store segment; Sam's Club (865) ranks highest in the mass merchandiser segment; and Publix (886) ranks highest in the supermarket segment. In the mail order segment, Kaiser Permanente Mail Pharmacy (865) ranks highest. The 2014 U.S. Pharmacy Study is based on responses from 13,951 pharmacy customers who filled a new prescription or refilled a prescription during the three months prior to the survey period. Customer satisfaction with brick and mortar pharmacies is measured across five factors: prescription ordering; store; cost competitiveness; non-pharmacist staff; and pharmacist. Satisfaction with mail order pharmacies is measured across four factors: cost competitiveness; prescription delivery; prescription ordering process; and customer service experience. The study, now in its seventh year, was fielded between June and July 2014.        Overall Customer Satisfaction Index Scores J.D. Power.com Power Circle Ratings (Based on a 1,000-point scale) For Consumers Brick and Mortar - Chain Drug Store Segment Good Neighbor Pharmacy 884 5 Health Mart 873 4 Walgreens 848 4 Chain Drug Store Average 840 3 Rite Aid Pharmacy 837 3 CVS/pharmacy 829 2 Included in the study, but not ranked due to small sample sizes are The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy and Duane Reade. Brick and Mortar - Mass Merchandiser Segment Sam's Club 865 5 Target 851 4 Costco 850 4 Meijer 834 3 Mass Merchandiser Average 830 3 Kmart 828 3 ShopKo 826 3 Walmart 820 2 Included in the study, but not ranked due to small sample size is Fred's. Brick and Mortar – Supermarket Segment Publix 886 5 Wegmans 883 5 H-E-B 864 4 Hy-Vee 852 4 Kroger 846 3 Giant 844 3 Supermarket Average 843 3 Stop & Shop 838 3 ShopRite 831 3 Albertsons/Safeway 827 3 Giant Eagle 803 2 Included in the study, but not ranked due to small sample sizes are Vons, Bi-Lo and Ralphs Grocery.