Residents views of local pharmacy services in Hartlepool
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Healthwatch Hartlepool conducted an investigation into local residents' views of the pharmacy services in the area. There were 213 respondents to online questionnaires and face-to-face interviews, from July to October 2018.
The report found that the majority of local residents are satisfied with the quality of the pharmacy services as well as with the staff that provide these services. Those that were dissatisfied with the pharmacies reported that this was due to long waiting times, lack of staff and being overheard when discussing sensitive issues. Respondents reported that they would use their local pharmacy as a first port of call for treatment of a minor illness. A third of respondents were unaware that electronic prescription services were available to them.
Recommendations were made including that: Findings from individual Pharmacies are noted and whenever possible any concerns highlighted within the report are considered and acted upon; Pharmacies need to find ways of making conversations with patients less audible to other customers using the pharmacy, either through use greater use and promotion of the consulting room or by other means; Pharmacies and GP practices should ensure close working relationships so that repeat dispensing service and repeat prescription service work well. This will ensure patients’ medication is ready for collection at the right time for the patient each month. Pharmacists should ensure within this system that there is a conversation with the patient to check if any medication has changed; Individual pharmacies should clearly display information on advice and services that are available to the public, as well as information on their staff and their qualifications. This will inform patients on the type of advice they may ask pharmacy assistants, dispensing technicians and the pharmacist; and Concerns raised by customers around the behaviour of some methadone patients is noted and consideration if given to future methadone service delivery.