Perceptions of pharmacy clerkship students and clinical preceptors regarding preceptors' teaching behaviors at Gondar University in Ethiopia.

This study aimed to compare the perceptions of pharmacy clerkship students and clinical preceptors of preceptors' teaching behaviors at Gondar University. A cross-sectional study was conducted among pharmacy clerkship students and preceptors during June 2014 and December 2015. A 52-item structured questionnaire was self-administered to 126 students and 23 preceptors. The responses are presented using descriptive statistics. The Mann-Whitney U test was applied to test the significance of differences between students and preceptors. The response rate was 89.4% for students and 95.6% for preceptors. Statistically significant differences were observed in the responses regarding two of the five communication skills that were examined, six of the 26 clinical skills, and five of the 21 parameters involving feedback. The mean scores of preceptors (2.6/3) and students (1.9/3) regarding instructors' ability to answer questions were found to be significantly different (P= 0.01). Students and preceptors gave mean scores of 1.9 and 2.8, respectively, to a question regarding preceptors' application of appropriate up-to-date knowledge to individual patients (P= 0.00). Significant differences were also noted between students and instructors regarding the degree to which preceptors encouraged students to evaluate their own performance (P= 0.01). Discrepancies were noted between students and preceptors regarding preceptors' teaching behaviors. Preceptors rated their teaching behaviors more highly than students did. Short-term training is warranted for preceptors to improve some aspects of their teaching skills.

Clients' expectations from and satisfaction with medicine retail outlets in Gondar town, northwestern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess clients' level of expectation from and satisfaction with medicine retail outlets (MROs) in Gondar town, northwestern Ethiopia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: An institutions-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 20 to May 5, 2014, by sampling five pharmacies and eight drug stores through simple random sampling. Clients, 424, who came to the MROs during the study period were included in the study. Data were collected using structured questionnaires measuring expectations and satisfaction of clients using a Likert scale of 1-5 through face-to-face interviews. RESULTS: Out of the total 424 interview encounters, 422 (99.5% response rate) questionnaires were included in the analysis, of which 61.1% were of males. The overall mean expectation of respondents toward MRO setting and services was 3.82 and that of satisfaction of the respondents was 3.02. More than three-quarters (76.8%) of the respondents expected medicines in affordable prices from MROs, but nearly half (44.8%) were not satisfied with it. Much more than half (58.5%) of the respondents were dissatisfied with the comfort and convenience of private counseling area. Also, nearly half (47.6%) of the respondents claimed that pharmacy professionals did not provide information regarding the storage condition of medications. There was statistically significant difference in overall expectation (t=2.707, P=0.007) and satisfaction (t=2.260, P=0.024) with the setting and services of MROs between respondents who claimed to know the difference between a pharmacy and a drug store and those who claimed they did not. CONCLUSION: Clients' expectation from MRO services was high, with average satisfaction. The overall expectation and satisfaction of the respondents toward MROs were lower in those who reported they did not know the difference between a pharmacy and a drug store than in those who claimed to know the difference. Supportive supervision by the town's health bureau on the MROs is recommended to help improve clients' satisfaction.