Survey Ranks Supermarket Pharmacies for Customer Satisfaction

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. -- Publix, Wegmans and Safeway were the highest-ranking supermarkets in a study of customer satisfaction at retail pharmacy released yesterday by J.D. Power and Associates here. The inaugural national Retail Pharmacy Satisfaction Study polled 6,543 consumers who filled a new prescription or refilled a prescription in the three months prior to the survey. Based on a 1,000-point scale, with a score of 851 points, Publix Super Markets, Lakeland, Fla., ranked highest in the supermarket segment, receiving high ratings in convenience, pharmacy staff, medication availability and information, and store layout and design. Wegmans Food Markets, Rochester, N.Y., followed with 838 points, and Safeway, Pleasanton, Calif., ranked third in the segment with 827 points. Medicine Shoppe, Earth City, Mo., led the retail chain segment with 866 points and received the highest ratings in all factors driving customer satisfaction. CVS/pharmacy Woonsocket, R.I., and Walgreens, Deerfield, Ill., followed tied at 786 points. Among mass merchandisers, Target, Minneapolis, ranked highest with a score of 826 points, performing particularly well in medication availability and information, and store layout and design. Wal-Mart-owned Sam‘s Club, Bentonville, Ark., with 823, and Kmart, Hoffman Estates, Ill., with 818 closely follow Target in the rankings. In the mail order segment, CVS-owned Caremark lead with 818 points, receiving the highest ratings in convenience and availability of medication. PharmaCare Management Services, also owned by CVS/Pharmacy, followed with 813 points.