Pharmacy - Summer Survey Report November 2024

What We Found

- Access to Services: Most people had no issues accessing their local pharmacy. However, people with disabilities, those aged 35-64, and those aged over 75 faced challenges like transport, opening hours, and physical access.

- Finding Information: Most people look for information online. However 14% didn’t know where to find information about pharmacy services. People who were younger, unemployed, or struggling financially were less likely to know where to look.

- Medicine Availability: 80% found their medicines available when they went to collect them, though stock issues and poor communication created problems for some.

- Pharmacy First: While 48% had heard of 'Pharmacy First', awareness was lower among younger people, those struggling financially, and attendees of SpeakEasy N.O.W. workshops. Most people were not clear the conditions which are covered by the scheme and the age restrictions that apply. However, people are open to using the scheme - 74% of those who hadn’t used Pharmacy First said they would if needed.

- Additional Services: Around 75% knew about services like blood pressure checks and unwanted medicine returns, but fewer were aware of services like oral contraception without prescription or medicine checks. There is more to do to let people know about the range of services which pharmacies provide.

- Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC): these can reduce costs for people who pay for their prescriptions. Of those who did, a quarter hadn’t heard of the PPC, especially younger people.

What People Said

Most comments were positive, praising the helpfulness of pharmacy staff. However, some expressed concerns about long wait times, communication issues and lack of privacy.