'Pharmacies considered as most essential service'

Pharmacies are considered as the most essential services in the UK, followed by convenience stores and post office, a new public opinion poll, by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) revealed.

It is recognised as the second most important service which has the most positive impact on the local communities.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) chief executive Mark Lyonette said: “It’s no surprise that community pharmacies are once again on top of this annual ranking of public opinion, which highlights what people regard as essential local assets. A pharmacy is part of the fabric of society, as well as being a frontline health service.”

The report by ACS 'The Community Barometer' provides new insight into the provision of local commercial services, their role in benefitting the community, and how people feel about them.

Omnibus poll conducted by the ACS asked the following key questions to consumers:

• Which of the following types of services do you think are the most essential for the communities in your local area?

• Which of the following types of services do you believe have the most positive impact on reducing loneliness in your local area?

• Which of the following types of services do you believe have the most positive impact on your local area?

• For each of the following types of services, please indicate whether the presence of these services locally would have a positive or negative impact on house prices in your area

• For each of the following types of services, please indicate whether you think that it would be beneficial for your local area to have more or less of these types of services, or if you think the number should remain the same.

In services that have the most positive impact on house prices, pharmacies ranked second after the post office. It ranked 7th in the most wanted services by the consumers in their local communities.