Compare Pharmacies in New Zealand at Canstar Blue. Unichem, Chemist Warehouse, Life Pharmacy, Bargain Chemist, Countdown Pharmacy were compared on Overall Satisfaction; Availability of Pharmacist; Prescription Availability and Speed of Dispensing; Range of Products; Service and Advice Provided; and Value for Money.
Unichem rated number one for customer satisfaction
For minor aches, pains, sniffles and sneezes a visit to a doctor can be expensive. Plus trying to book an appointment at a time that suits can be difficult to arrange. That’s why for everyday ailments many of us turn to our local pharmacist for advice.
Indeed, in Canstar Blue’s latest research, a quarter of Kiwis say they visit a pharmacist for advice on minor ailments to save the cost of a GP visit. And over a third (35%) say they trust a pharmacist’s advice as much as their doctor’s.
From small dedicated stores, in recent years, pharmacies have expanded in range to include supermarket dispensaries and large budget stores stacked full of health products and bargain cosmetics.
But when dealing with your health and that of your family, which pharmacy can you trust for the best advice, service and value for money?
As part of our mission to inform consumers of the best NZ has to offer, this year Canstar Blue canvassed the opinions of 1605 New Zealanders who had made a purchase from a pharmacy in the past six months, and asked them to rate their experiences across a range of categories, to measure and track their levels of customer satisfaction.
To decide which pharmacy offers the best level of customer satisfaction, each was rated across the following categories:
Coming out on top is Unichem, the clear winner of Canstar Blue’s award for Most Satisfied Customers | Pharmacies.
In this year’s award ratings, Unichem is the only pharmacy to achieve a 5-Star rating for Overall Satisfaction.
It’s a result built on a strong performance across all measured categories, including further 5-Star ratings for Availability of Pharmacist; Prescription Availability and Speed of Dispensing; and Service and Advice Provided.
Earning 4-Star Overall Satisfaction ratings are: Chemist Warehouse, Life Pharmacy and Bargain Chemist.
It’s no surprise that bargain pharmacies Chemist Warehouse and Bargain Chemist are the only two pharmacies in our ratings to earn a top 5-Star rating for Value for Money.
In most of Canstar Blue’s research, Value for Money is front and centre. However, in this year’s pharmacy research, it’s customer service and advice that drives consumer satisfaction.
Prescription Availability and Speed of Dispensing (28%) and Service and Advice Provided (25%) were each cited by a quarter of respondents as the most important factor when visiting their pharmacy. Range of products (21%), too, ranks above Value for Money, as a key driver of pharmacy satisfaction.
This is reflected by the fact that only 19% of those in our survey say their choice of pharmacy is dictated by price alone. Overall, the main drivers of satisfaction are:
This year’s award winner, Unichem, is part of Green Cross Health. It was founded in 1981 as a buying group for individual pharmacies throughout New Zealand.
Since then, it has grown into a nationwide healthcare provider that runs 45 medical centres and has a community health division that provides home health care and community nursing to more than 40,000 people. Life Pharmacy, which earns an admirable 4-Star rating in this year’s awards, is also part of Green Cross Health.
In addition to selling a wide range of over-the-counter medications, cosmetics and natural health supplements, Unichem provides a number of health services. These include COVID-19 vaccinations and tests, flu shots, Coeliac disease testing, blood pressure checks, bowel health screening, medicine management and warfarin monitoring.
So whatever your health or beauty needs, if you are searching for the best pharmacist, look no further than Unichem, the 2022 winner of Canstar Blue’s award for Most Satisfied Customers | Pharmacies.
Think the rise of discount pharmacies is good for consumers: 52%
Will buy a product from supermarket rather than a pharmacy if possible: 42%
Trusts pharmacist’s advice as much as doctor’s: 35%
Visit a pharmacist for advice on minor ailments, rather than visit a GP, due to cost: 25%
Choose pharmacy on cost alone: 19%
Relied more on local pharmacy during the pandemic: 19%
Buy majority of beauty products from pharmacies: 16%
Use online pharmacies: 18%
Have had prescriptions filled online: 13%
Sometimes too embarrassed to explain health problems to pharmacist: 14%
Had a prescription filled: 46%
Purchased non-medicine items: 40%
Purchased over-the-counter medication: 29%
Take medical advice: 9%
Canstar Blue surveyed 2501 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from respondents who had made a purchase from a pharmacy in the past six months. In this case, 1605 New Zealanders. Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criterion.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.
2021
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