Evaluation of Waiting Time for Drug Prescription Services at the Pharmacy Installation of Bhakti Medika Clinic

Abstract

Background: Waiting time is a key indicator for assessing the quality of pharmaceutical services in hospitals. It is defined as the duration from the moment a patient submits a prescription to the pharmacist until the medication is dispensed. According to the Decree of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia Number 4 of 2019 on Minimum Hospital Service Standards, the expected waiting time is 15–30 minutes for non-compounded prescriptions and 30–60 minutes for compounded prescriptions. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the average prescription service waiting time for outpatients at the Pharmacy Installation of Bhakti Medika Clinic. Research Object: Prescriptions received during the service period were used as research samples. Method: This was a descriptive observational study. The data were collected through direct observation, recorded systematically, and further analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Results: The findings indicated that the mean waiting time for compounded prescriptions was 21.6 minutes, while non-compounded prescriptions had an average waiting time of 15.6 minutes. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that the average prescription waiting time at Bhakti Medika Clinic Pharmacy Installation complied with the Minimum Service Standards (MSS) as regulated in the Minister of Health Regulation No. 72 of 2016. Both compounded and non-compounded prescriptions were dispensed within the required timeframe, suggesting that the clinic’s pharmacy services operate efficiently and align with national standards for pharmaceutical care.