Assessment of Pharmacy Service Quality During the COVID-19 Pandemic at Private Hospitals in Enugu, South East Nigeria

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed unprecedented challenges on health systems globally, including disruptions to pharmaceutical service delivery. Nigerian private hospitals faced particularly acute challenges with maintaining standard pharmacy operations while responding to pandemic-related demands. This study assessed the quality of pharmacy services during the COVID-19 pandemic period at private hospitals in Enugu, South East Nigeria. A cross-sectional retrospective design was employed, combining patient exit interviews with 180 patients and structured interviews with 30 pharmacists from 12 private hospitals. Quality was assessed across dimensions of drug availability, waiting times, counseling quality, infection control compliance in pharmacy units, and patient satisfaction. Drug availability scores declined significantly during the peak pandemic period, with 71 percent of pharmacists reporting stockouts of essential medications due to supply chain disruptions. Counseling was reduced in scope and duration to minimize contact time, as reported by 67 percent of pharmacists. Patient satisfaction scores during the pandemic were notably lower for waiting time and drug availability. Conversely, infection control improvements including mask use and physical distancing were observed in most pharmacies. These findings reflect both the adaptive resilience of pharmacy services and the vulnerabilities exposed by the pandemic. Recommendations include development of pandemic pharmaceutical contingency plans for private hospitals in Enugu and the wider South East zone. Keywords: pharmacy service quality, COVID-19, Enugu, private hospitals, pharmaceutical care