Objectives:

This pharmacy has a positive attitude to receiving comments, suggestions or complaints from customers . We wish to offer customers an explanation for any concern they have and use feedback constructively to improve the services provided by the pharmacy.

The pharmacy complaints and comments procedure aims to:

Provide the fullest possible opportunity for investigation and resolution of a complaint, that satisfies the person while being fair to staff
Focus on making improvements in service delivery in response to suggestions, compliments and complaints rather than apportioning blame among staff;
Ensure that patients are aware of how to make a suggestion or complain or pass on a compliment; and
Encourage staff and pharmacists to listen and talk with those who have a complaint or compliment.

Roles and Responsibilities:

From patients and customers and to assist with investigating complaints.

Informing patients how to complain.The pharmacy and the staff will inform patients how to complain through.If asked, staff will explain how suggestions, complaints and compliments may be made.

Immediate Health Needs:

In all cases we will first try and ensure that the patients immediate health needs are being met if necessary taking urgent action before any matters relating to the complaint are tackled.

Confidentiality:

Complainants will be treated with appropriate confidentiality. The pharmacy will only discuss confidential information to the extent it is necessary in order to answer the complaint.

Receiving Letters of Complaint:

These will be passed to the pharmacy manager. If the complainant is not the patient, the pharmacy manager will consider whether it is appropriate to require the consent of the patient in order to investigate the complaint.

Acknowledging a Complaint:

When a complaint is received orally or in writing, the manager will send an acknowledgement within two working days. The complainant will be advised of how long it will take to investigate and respond. This will normally be within 4 weeks. If it takes longer, the patient will be kept informed of progress.

Resolving a Complaint:

The pharmacy will offer an apology, if appropriate and aim to give the a full explanation. If appropriate the complainant will be invited to the pharmacy to discuss the complaint. The pharmacy will invite them to bring a relative, a friend with them, if they want to.

At the end of the process the pharmacy will write to the complainant providing an explanation and offering an apology, if appropriate. This letter will advise the complainant that, if they are still not satisfied they can complain to the Healthcare Commission.

Complaints and Discipline:

The complaints procedure is about giving explanations and making improvements. If as a result of a complaint it is necessary to discipline a member of staff, the disciplinary procedure will be used.

Monitoring Complaints

The complaints manager will be responsible for helping the pharmacy to make constructive use of feedback from comments and complaints. The pharmacy will keep a log of complaints and make use of feedback from comments and complaints to improve services.

Conclusion

As a pharmacy we will encourage complaints, comments and suggestions from all of our patients and customers, so we can constantly attempt to improve the services we offer. Complaints must be looked upon as an opportunity for improving our services and ultimately securing the future of our business.

Complaints should be dealt with in a non-confrontational manner and we should not feel threatened by them. All complaints will be dealt with in a manner that maintains confidentiality for those involved. Only those people within the pharmacy, who need to know, will learn of the complaint.