Session 7: Customer Care in Provision of Pharmaceutical
Services
LearningTasks
By the end of this session students are expected to be able to:
Define a customer, customer service and customer care
Describe the importance of customer care in pharmaceutical services
Describe factors influencing customer care
Describe skills influencing customer care
SESSION OVERVIEW
Activity/
Step Time Content
Method
1 05 minutes Presentation Introduction, Learning Tasks
Presentation Definitions of a Customer, Customer Service and
2 15 minutes
Brainstorming Customer Care
10 minutes Presentation
Importance of Customer Care in
3
Buzzing Pharmaceutical Services
25 minutes Presentation
4 Factors Influencing Customer Care
Group Discussion
50 minutes Presentation
5 Skills Influencing Customer Care
Role Play
6 05 minutes Presentation Key Points
7 05 minutes Presentation Evaluation
8 10 minutes Presentation Assignment
SESSION CONTENTS
STEP1: Introduction, Learning Tasks (5 minutes)
READ or ASK students to read the learning tasks and clarify
ASK students if they have any questions before continuing
STEP 2: Definitions of a Customer, Customer Service and Customer Care (15
minutes)
Activity: Brainstorming (5 minutes)
Ask students to brainstorm on the following questions:
Who is a customer?
What is customer service?
What is customer care?
A customer can be defined as;
o A customer or client is a person seeking services from health facilities, institution ,
organization or from a service provider
o A person who purchases goods or services from another
o Anyone who receives products or services from a supplier of the products or services
Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase.
Accordingly, it may vary by product, service, industry and individual customer.
Customer care involves putting systems in place to maximize your customers' satisfaction with your
service.
o It should be a prime consideration for every service or business - your daily functioning and
performance at the pharmacy depends on keeping your customers happy. So don't neglect the
importance of customer care in all areas of your pharmacy service or business.
STEP 3: Importance of Customer Care in Pharmaceutical Services (10
minutes)
Activity: Buzzing (5 minutes)
ASK students to pair up and buzz on the following question for 2 minutes
What is the importance of customer care in Pharmaceutical services?
Importance of Customer Care in Pharmaceutical Services
Builds trust
Allows self-disclosure
Enables one to make and keep relationships
Facilitates feedback and feed forward
STEP 4: Factors Influencing Customer Care (25 minutes)
There are several factors influencing customer care, also known as The Three Rs of customer
satisfaction as explained below;
o Results: Customer expects superior results from our product or service. They expect the
product or service to be the best value for their money.
In pharmacy, patients/clients expect medicines to be available and of good quality.
o Relationship: Customers expect a relationship that is consistent with their value system.
Here they expect to get relevant instructions especially on the use of medicines
o Resource: Customers expect the Dispenser to be a resource to help them solve their
problems. Patients/ clients expect the personnel to be competent in answering their
questions concerning medicines and health matters in general.
STEP 5: Skills Influencing Customer Care (45 minutes)
ORGANISE the students into small manageable groups.
ASK each group to select a customer( patient), a care giver (Dispenser) and an observer
TELL the patient to act like s/he is suffering from Malaria and they come from Hospital with a
prescription of medicine, s/he present it to the Dispenser
TELL the Dispenser to attend to that patient applying principles of customer care.
TELL the observer to pay attention to both the patient and the dispenser, in order to provide
feedback regarding skills of customer care.
ASK if there are any questions before beginning the exercise for the groups.
ALLOW The Role Play to take place for the different groups.
At the end of the role play, the facilitator should ‘derole’ before the large group discussion.
The following are Effective Customer Communication skills and techniques that can
influence customer satisfaction:
o Make your customers feel important and appreciated
o Remain calm in the most demanding situations
o Transform complaints into valuable customer feedback
o Become a master in the art of listening
o Be successful with the most difficult people
Good oral communications skills:
o Speak clearly; provide to-the-point instructions
o Maintain eye contact
o Explain procedures clearly
o Exhibit confidence
o Answer questions completely but if you do not know, say so and state where you will find
out and get back to them
Empathic listening:
o Listen for facts
o Let them complete sentences without interruption
o Restate what you think they said
o Listen for feelings
o Listen with non-verbal like nodding, leaning forward
o Listen for non-verbal – what is not said
STEP 5: Key Points (5minutes)
A customer is a person who receives or consumes products (goods or services) and has the
ability to choose between different products and suppliers
Customer care is important as it builds trust, allows self-disclosure, enables one to make and
keep relationships and facilitates feedback and feed forward
Factors influencing customer care includes results, relationships and resources
Skills influencing customer care should be observed such as effective communication skills,
good oral and listening skills
STEP 6: Evaluation (5 minutes)
Who is a customer?
What are customer services and customer cares?
What is the importance of customer care in pharmaceutical services?
What are the factors influencing customer care?
What are the skills influencing customer care?
STEP 7: Assignment (10 minutes)
Activity: Take Home Assignment (10 minutes)
DIVIDE students in groups or individuals
ASK the students to work on the following Assignment
Prepare a presentation on
o How to identify customers in pharmaceutical setting
o How to establish customer satisfaction
ALLOCATE time for students to do the assignments and submit
REFER students to recommended reference
References
Burger,A. (2009) Communication skills for pharmacist; building relationships, improving patient care (4th
ed.). New York: American pharmacist association
Burnard, P. (1992). A communication skills guide for health care workers (1st ed.). London: Edward Anorld
Hubley, J (1983)Communicating Health. An action guide to health education and health promotion
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Kadeghe, M. (2005) Communication skills; theory and practice (3rded.). Dar es salaam: Afroplus Industries
Ltd.
Kariuki, M. K.&Munga E. C. (2011)Fundamentals of communication skills (1st ed.). Mwanza: Victoria
Education Promotional Centre Ltd.
Kurtz, S.,Silnerman,.J. &Draper, J. (1998) Teaching and learning communication skills in medicine (1st
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Mahundu, C.M. (1999). A manual on communication skills (1st ed.). Ndanda: Benedictine Publishers
Pitt, B. (1991). Health, teacher’s diploma communication. Harare: MOH
Rungapaidiachy, D. M. (1999) Interpersonal communication and psychology (1sted.). Massachusetts:
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