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.