Introduction: Considering that the population density, social stress and frustrations, environmental and air pollution, and diseases directly related to unhealthy lifestyle are high, it is necessary to ensure the protection and support of public health, and to improve the quality and accessibility of localized healthcare services evenly, which in turn must meet the satisfaction of clients and professionals.
Statistical data indicates that between 2022-2023, a total of 2595 pharmacies operated in Mongolia, including 268 (10.3%) first-level pharmacies, 2178 (83.9%) second-level pharmacies, and 149 (5.7%) circulating pharmacies. In the first quarter of 2024, a total of 2916 pharmacies are active, comprising 249 (8.5%) first-level, 2531 (86.8%) second-level, and 136 (4.5%) circulating pharmacies. Based on these statistical figures, the number of pharmacies has been increasing year by year, making it necessary to study the satisfaction levels of professionals and clients. Methods: The satisfaction survey of pharmacy customers and pharmaceutical professionals was conducted using a single-stage sampling method. The sample size was calculated considering the representativeness of the population using the Surveysystem calculator and proportional allocation methods with a table for accurate estimation. Data collection was carried out between the second quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025, using two types of questionnaires based on the SERVQUAL model, with five likert-scale measures, along with informed consent forms.
The survey was conducted among pharmacy staff and customers in Ulaanbaatar districts: Bayangol, Baganuur, Bagakhangai, Nalaikh, Sukhbaatar, Chingeltei, Khan-Uul, Songinokhairkhan, and Bayanzurkh, using random sampling methods. Data processing was performed with microsoft excel and spss 25.0.
A total of 1381 participants were involved, including n=997 pharmacists and n=384 customers from nine districts of Ulaanbaatar, to evaluate and analyze satisfaction levels. The findings are as follows: Among the customers who participated in the survey, 45.8% (176) were male and 54.2% (208) were female. A total of (n=384) customers took part in the study, of whom 67.7% (260) reported being satisfied with the pharmacy services the highest proportion in the dataset. Examining satisfaction by age group showed that customers under 25 years old (94) and those aged 26–35 (70) were satisfied with the services.
In the survey on job satisfaction among pharmacy professionals, 11.9% (124) of respondents were male and 83.9% (873) were female. When evaluating the job satisfaction of professionals across districts (n=997), no major differences were observed between districts. However, the proportion of respondents who reported being “Very satisfied” and “Satisfied” were relatively higher in the following districts: Bayangol at 10.3% (103), Khan-Uul at 7.9% (79), Bayanzurkh at 11.1% (111), Sukhbaatar at 7.02% (70), and Songinokhairkhan at 8.4% (84). By age group, the highest levels of job satisfaction were seen among professionals aged 26–35 (52.4%, 230) and 36–45 (55.2%, 112). Conclusion
1. Among the 384 clients involved in the study, 67.7% (n=260) were satisfied with the pharmacy services, assistance, and environment.
2. When assessing the job satisfaction of pharmacists, 77.4% (n=772) of the 997 pharmacists across 9 districts reported being confident in their career choice and “Satisfied” or “Very satisfied”.