Table 1.

AHRQ's Community Pharmacy Patient Safety Culture Composites¹⁷

Patient counseling	Patients are encouraged to talk to the pharmacist; pharmacists spend enough time talking to patients and tell them important information about new prescriptions.
Communication openness	Staff freely speak up about patient safety concerns and feel comfortable asking questions, and staff suggestions are valued.
Overall perceptions of patient safety	There is a strong focus and emphasis on patient safety, and the pharmacy is good at preventing mistakes.
Organizational learning–continuous improvement	The pharmacy tries to figure out what problems in the work process lead to mistakes and makes changes to keep mistakes from happening again.
Teamwork	Staff treat each other with respect, work together as an effective team, and understand their roles and responsibilities.
Communication about prescriptions across shifts	Information about prescriptions is communicated well across shifts, and there are clear expectations and procedures for doing so.
Communication about mistakes	Staff discuss mistakes that happen and talk about ways to prevent mistakes.
Response to mistakes	The pharmacy examines why mistakes happen and helps staff learn from mistakes, and staff are treated fairly when they make mistakes.
Staff training and skills	Staff get the training they need, new staff receive orientation, and staff have the skills they need to do their jobs well.
Physical space and environment	The pharmacy is well organized and free of clutter, and the pharmacy layout supports good workflow.
Staffing, work pressure, and pace	There are enough staff to handle the workload, staff do not feel rushed, staff can take breaks, and work can be completed accurately despite distractions.