Enter and view: Bacup Pharmacy

Healthwatch Lancashire undertook an enter and view visit to Bacup Pharmacy on 31 October 2024.  They spoke to 20 people.

There was a high level of satisfaction expressed by patients who attended the pharmacy throughout the visit. Most patients visited the pharmacy to pick up their prescriptions after they had attended an appointment at a GP surgery. Some patients were visiting the pharmacy for a follow up visit as they were unable to get their prescription on a previous visit due to stock issues, which they mentioned the staff at the pharmacy had worked to resolve. Two patients were observed going back to the GP practice and then returning to the pharmacy for their amended prescription. 

Most patients spoken with were happy with the advice that staff gave them, and they felt that staff were approachable, particularly with some of the patients who had attended for medication enquiries. Patients were aware of the Pharmacy First initiative and some had used it without knowing the formal title for the service. Staff had taken a proactive approach to raising awareness of the service by sharing leaflets with all patients in order to make them more aware of the services they could access at the pharmacy. 

Staff felt that they had a positive working relationship with each other and the patients. Some concerns were raised about capacity to deliver all services they were expected to, in light of the upcoming seasonal vaccinations which meant that some staff would be diverted from some of the core aspects of their work. Staff felt confident that the steps they had taken prior to the start of winter were helpful in order to prepare for any winter pressures.