Patient Satisfaction With Auditable Pharmaceutical Transactions and Services: A Cross‐Sectional Study at Bule Hora University Teaching Hospital, Ethiopia

Background and Aims Auditable Pharmaceutical Transactions and Services (APTS) is a national initiative implemented in Ethiopia to improve the transparency, efficiency, and accountability of pharmaceutical services. Although APTS has been widely adopted, its impact on patient satisfaction remains underexplored, especially in resource‐limited settings. This study aimed to assess patient satisfaction with pharmaceutical services delivered under the APTS system by Outpatient Pharmacy of Bule Hora University Teaching Hospital (BHUTH), Ethiopia. Methods A hospital‐based cross‐sectional study was conducted among 326 adult outpatients receiving pharmacy services at BHUTH from January 2024 to March 2024. A structured, interviewer‐ questionnaire administered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 27.0. Descriptive statistics summarized patient responses with frequency, percentages and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Associations between socio‐demographic variables and satisfaction were evaluated using χ 2 tests, with statistical significance defined as p < 0.05. Results The study included 326 outpatients, with a mean age of 38 ± 14 years; the majority were male (197, 60.4%). Overall, 89.0% (95% CI: 85.8–92.2) of patients reported satisfaction with pharmacy services. Most of the patients were highly satisfied with the physical environment (95.0%), interpersonal skills (93.10%) and service efficiency (96.75%). However, lower satisfaction was noted in medication counseling (75.0%) and medicine access (85.75%). Urban residence was significantly associated with higher satisfaction ( χ 2 = 7.85, p = 0.005). Conclusion The implementation of APTS at BHUTH resulted in high overall patient satisfaction. Nevertheless, improvements are still needed in medication counseling and medicine supply management. Strengthening pharmacist training, improving counseling practices, and enhancing pharmaceutical supply chain systems may further improve patient satisfaction and the quality of pharmacy services.