Background <p>The goal of every hospital department is to furnish the patient with the best service at the most economical cost. Pharmacy services, a key therapeutic arm, are critical in patient care. In hospitals, pharmacy services are an important part of patient care.</p> Objective <p>To determine the existing waiting time and patient response to waiting time at the outpatient pharmacy of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia.</p> Method <p>An institutional cross-sectional quantitative study mixed with a qualitative method was conducted among clients of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital outpatient pharmacy. Data were collected using techniques of workflow analysis and time study in observing the dispensing process. A structured questionnaire was administered to the out-patients to measure their responses to waiting in the pharmacy as well as their level of satisfaction with pharmacy services rendered.</p> Result <p>The workflow analysis revealed a considerable delay in the dispensing procedure because of extended delay components. The total waiting time for a dispensing process averaged 21.45, 19.19, and 13.41&#xa0;min for out-pocket payers, Community Based Health Insurance, and stock-out customers respectively. Specifically, the major delay component is attributed to patient queues for the billing of prescriptions. The majority of patients (51.2%) express that the waiting time at the pharmacy is either long or too long. The level of satisfaction with pharmaceutical service was found to be unsatisfactory or fairly satisfactory by greater than two-thirds of participants (67.46%).</p> Conclusion <p>Most of the patient waiting time in the pharmacy studied can be accounted for by delay components of the dispensing procedure. Attempts should therefore be made to reduce the time on these components of the dispensing process so that more time could be devoted to counseling while reducing the total time spent by the patient in having their prescription sheets filled.</p>