Key Summary
- 74 percent men who visit pharmacies said they don’t discuss their health concerns with pharmacists.
- It also found that nine out of ten men surveyed (92 percent) use their local pharmacy.
- Around a quarter of men surveyed said they would be more likely to talk to a pharmacist if they knew the conversation was private.
Around 74 percent of men who visit pharmacies said they do not raise health concerns with a pharmacist, despite 92 percent reporting they use their local pharmacy.
The research, titled "An Unfilled Prescription," was produced by the Men’s Health Forum with support from Opella.
The study highlights a clear opportunity to convert regular pharmacy visits into greater engagement with preventative services and earlier detection of illness, which could help reduce pressure on NHS services.
Men in the UK have a shorter average life expectancy than women by about four years, and more than a third die before age 75, underscoring why improving access and uptake matters.
The research identified the main barriers preventing men from living healthier lives, which, according to the men surveyed, include:
- Discomfort discussing health issues in a public retail space (22 percent).
- A perception that seeking help is a sign of weakness (33 percent).
- A common tendency to delay seeking medical advice (36 percent).
This issue could lead to serious issues.
Over half of the men surveyed (57 percent) reported that failing to seek advice led to negative impacts on their lives, including missed work (15 percent) and strained personal relationships (12 percent).
The report also found that men are willing to engage if the environment is right. Roughly a quarter (24 percent) said they would be more likely to speak to a pharmacist if the conversation were private, and 26 percent said they would be more likely to engage if they could be referred to the NHS when needed.
Last November, on International Men’s Day, the government had unveiled England’s first Men’s Health Strategy, which aims to tackle physical and mental health challenges faced by men and boys, and improve their condition in deprived areas.
