With the several changes taking place in the retail, wholesale, manufacturing and academic sectors of pharmacy, the practice of pharmacy is becoming a challenging one in South Africa. As a result of this, it is important to prove to the government as well as to other health care professionals that pharmacy can do more than deliver a supply function. This would involve the pharmacist becoming more committed to the quality of service and value (irrespective of the sector), and in so doing raise the overall standard of the profession. This research involves a survey amongst 100 customers who live in the Pinetown area. It investigates service quality in a retail pharmacy by using the SERVQUAL instrument as a measuring tool. It involved assessing respondents expectations and perceptions of service quality in retail pharmacy. The respondents indicated that understanding patient needs, assurance, reliability, efficiency, tangibles, attention and staff presentation were important factors that they expected from service of any retail pharmacy. With respect to the service provided by Pinelands pharmacy, respondent perceptions of service quality included patient individualisation, pharmacy staff competence, efficiency, staff presentation and convenient operating hours, aesthetic appeal and a modern pharmacy.

Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.