A report published today by Healthwatch, based on research into peoples' experiences and attitudes towards pharmacies, has laid out a series of measures it believes will support pharmacy teams to meet the health needs of local communities across England.

The report, based on interviews with pharmacy users and pharmacy staff and a poll which drew 1,650 responses, called for pharmacies to be given greater support including more funding, help dealing with workforce shortages and developing their pharmacy premises and improved IT systems. Interviews were carried out in 12 areas including Brighton and Hove, Bury, Cornwall, County Durham, Doncaster, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Sheffield, Suffolk, Surrey and York.

Based on the research, the report revealed 72 per cent of people had used a community pharmacy in the past three months compared with just 18 per cent who used an online pharmacy during that time. Fifty-four per cent of people who used an online pharmacy said they would be likely to do so again.

The report also said the public “value the accessibility of community pharmacies both in terms of the ease of getting to one and the speed of being seen once there.”

However, nearly one in four patients said they experienced a shortage of a medicine and 42 per cent experienced problems getting medicines. More older people experienced shortages than younger groups. Thirty per cent of over-65s said they struggled to get a medicine in the last year because of shortages compared to 15 per cent of people aged 18 to 24.

“This is likely a reflection of older people making more use of pharmacies. Nonetheless, it demonstrates how some groups feel the impact of shortages disproportionately,” the report said.

Shortages also affected women more than men. Over a quarter of women had problems obtaining a medicine in the past 12 months compared to 22 per cent of men.

Healthwatch said that statistic may largely be driven by the well-documented shortages of hormone replacement therapy. There have also been shortages in medication for ADHD, heart conditions, high blood pressure and diabetes as well as painkillers and statins.

Healthwatch also warned the cost-of-living crisis was impacting how people use pharmacy, with five per cent of respondents saying they avoided taking one or more NHS prescriptions because of the price.

Positive signs for Pharmacy First success but challenges exist

The research also laid bare the challenges of persuading people to move from a “traditional GP first” model to the Pharmacy First approach, which the report said was becoming harder to achieve because staff and medication shortages and permanent and temporary pharmacy closures were damaging public confidence in community pharmacy.

Warning the traditional GP-led primary care approach was “ingrained in public attitudes,” the report said: “The public must be aware of what services pharmacies can offer. They must also be willing and confident to access those services at a pharmacy.”

The report struck an optimistic tone when it came to Pharmacy First, insisting there are “positive signs for its success.” It said people were “already open to the idea of going to a pharmacy rather than a GP for the seven conditions before the service launched” and noted the public is generally open to seeing a pharmacist instead of a GP.

However, the report warned Pharmacy First’s effectiveness will be limited if people are deterred from going to pharmacies because cost-of-living pressures are impeding their ability to pay for prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

The research uncovered other hurdles such as “a small proportion” of people personally preferring a GP to a pharmacist and lacking awareness of the services pharmacies offer.

As a result, Healthwatch called on NHS England and Community Pharmacy England to work with it to implement “targeted communications to raise awareness” of Pharmacy First and insisted a national evaluation of the scheme and any decision-making on it should involve people “with experience using pharmacy services.”

Healthwatch urged NHSE and the NHS Business Services Authority to address factors that exacerbate cost-of-living pressures for patients, such as improving prescription prepayment certificates, and called on the government to review medicines shortages and “take action to keep people informed.”

Healthwatch also said “better communication of pharmacy closures and transparency on temporary closures” was needed. In the long term, Healthwatch said, Pharmacy First could be expanded with the right support because there was evidence showing the public would go to pharmacies for vaccines and dermatology services.

Chronic lack of funding is impacting patient experience

National Pharmacy Association chair Nick Kaye said the report highlighted “that workforce pressures and a chronic lack of funding are affecting patient experience.”

“The Healthwatch England statistics about medicines shortages reflect the exhausting coalface experience of pharmacy teams, who spend many extra hours to hunt down the stock patients need and frequently dispense at a financial loss,” he said.

“Addressing the issue will require co-ordinated, resolute action, with all eyes fixed on the needs of patients.”

General Pharmaceutical Council chair Gisela Abbam said the research “shines a light on people’s views and experiences of pharmacy services in England.”

“It tells us that members of the public are broadly positive about their experiences of using their local pharmacies and are supportive of the idea of pharmacies offering even more services in the future,” she said.

“This really underlines the vital role that pharmacies are already playing, and the potential for them to do even more in the future to improve access to care for patients and the public.”