Key Summary
- An Asda study found that 77 percent GPs feel that too many appointments are currently being used for minor illnesses.
- Nearly half the adults surveyed aren’t aware which symptoms can be treated at a pharmacy through Pharmacy First.
- Asda plans to use its 230 pharmacies to promote ISSUE IS and make customers aware when Pharmacy First is the right choice.
Asda Pharmacy has launched a campaign designed to raise awareness about Pharmacy First and help encourage families to initially approach local pharmacies, instead of GPs, for common illnesses.
The campaign, ISSUE IS, is a memorable acronym covering common conditions that pharmacists can treat: I–infected insect bites, S–sore throats, S–sinusitis, U–uncomplicated UTIs, E–earache, I–impetigo, and S–shingles.
Asda has also partnered with TV doctor Dr Hilary Jones to encourage the public to rethink where they go first when everyday illness strikes and get treated from its over 230 branches.
The findings of a recent study commissioned by Asda revealed that 87 percent of doctors say this winter has been busier than usual for minor health concerns, with nearly a third (31 percent) spending more than an hour every day treating conditions that could be safely managed in pharmacies.
Over three-fourths (77 percent) of GPs agree that too many appointments are currently being used for minor illnesses.
The main reason is that nearly half the adults (50 percent) aren’t aware which symptoms can be treated at a pharmacy through Pharmacy First, and 22 percent admit booking a GP for something a pharmacy could have handled, because they were not aware about the option.
Asda Pharmacy said that the awareness about Pharmacy First continues to be low despite being a free NHS service, offering expert clinical advice and NHS-funded treatment.
Nearly half the respondents (49 percent) have not heard of it before, while 11 percent couldn’t name a single condition pharmacists can treat.
Dr Jones said, “As a GP with my patients’ interests at heart, I’m passionate about telling them that there is a faster and more effective way to have many of their commonest medical conditions treated without the delay.”
He said that people can easily obtain the treatment from Asda's branches for a host of ailments from highly trained pharmacists.
“The ISSUE IS acronym will go a long way to resolve so many unpleasant symptoms with a minimum of a fuss and delay,” he added.
Asda' head of pharmacy Faisal Tuddy said, “When someone in the family feels unwell, knowing what to do next can feel like another decision in an already busy day. That mental load often leads people to default to the GP, even when faster, simpler care is available closer to home.”
“With more than 230 Asda Pharmacies across the UK, ISSUE IS gives customers a memorable way to recognise when Pharmacy First is the right choice, making it easier to see a pharmacist quickly, get treated sooner, and ease unnecessary pressure on GP surgeries.”
Patients can get more information about Pharmacy First and find the nearest participating Asda Pharmacy by visiting asda.com/pharmacy.
