Pharmacy: what people want

The report dives into people’s experiences of and attitudes towards pharmacy services at the outset of Pharmacy First. 

It outlines opportunities for community pharmacies and the challenges the sector is facing as the role of pharmacists continues to expand. It also presents a comprehensive list of recommendations for the government, NHS England, Integrated Care Boards, the pharmacy sector, as well as local Healthwatch. 

The report is based on: 

• A nationally representative poll of 1,650 adults in England, conducted by Yonder Data Solutions from November 20 to November 26, 2023.
• Interviews undertaken by local Healthwatch. Each one interviewed two pharmacy users and a pharmacy member of staff. 

Key findings 

Drawing on the poll's results and the interviews, the report concludes that: 

• Community pharmacies are very widely used, with 72% of people having used one in the past three months. 
• Online pharmacies are much less used, with 18% using one in the past three months. 54% of people who have used an online pharmacy at some point said they would be likely to do so again. 
• People value the accessibility of community pharmacies, both in terms of the ease of getting to one and the speed of being seen once there. 

• Almost one in four, 24%, have experienced shortages when trying to get medicine, and 42% have experienced problems getting medicine. 
• There are positive signs for the success of Pharmacy First. People were already open to the idea of going to a pharmacy rather than a GP for the seven conditions before the service was launched and are open to the idea of seeing a pharmacist rather than a GP more generally. 
• Pharmacy First faces some challenges. A small proportion of the population is less open to going to a pharmacy rather than a GP. This is due to their personal preference, while in some cases, due to a lack of awareness of the services pharmacies offer.   
• Although 90% of prescriptions in England are dispensed free of charge, the cost-of-living crisis impacts pharmacy usage, with five per cent of people saying they have avoided taking up one or more NHS prescriptions because of the price.