Nine in ten patients positively rated local pharmacies' advice, survey reveals

Nine in ten people surveyed by Ipsos on behalf on NHS positively rated the advice they received from their local pharmacies.

The results from Ipsos found that the vast majority of patients (91%) who had used a community pharmacy in the previous year for advice about medicines, a health problem or injury, or what health service they should use said they received good advice.

The research comes as more than 11,000 pharmacies in England can now access training to spot signs of cancer as part of a new drive to catch tumours earlier when they are easier to treat.

Thorrun Govind, Chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society English Pharmacy Board, said: “Community pharmacists are working exceptionally hard to make sure that the public gets the right advice at the right time. This new data shows the public appreciate both the accessibility and quality of advice they receive from community pharmacists.

“I am delighted that the Royal Pharmaceutical Society is working with the NHS to deliver professional development for community pharmacists to further enhance their clinical consultation skills.

“I’m a real advocate for community pharmacy based services that make best use of our skills. The success of the NHS blood pressure checks through pharmacy shows that resourcing additional services through community pharmacy improves patient care.”

National Pharmacy Association Vice-Chair, Nick Kaye, said: “It’s great that community pharmacies will be helping to increase early cancer detection rates by spotting red flag symptoms and potentially saving the lives of patients. This further expands the clinical role of pharmacy teams and builds on the skills of a highly-trained pharmacist workforce who knows their patients well and sees them regularly. The findings of the Ipsos survey underline that pharmacies are a key part of neighbourhood health services and are often the first port of call for advice and treatment.”