Lambeth Pulse: Pharmacy Services

Healthwatch Lambeth undertook a survey to understand people's experiences of pharmacy services.

The survey found that respondents already access pharmacy services regularly, with three fifths (60%) of respondents going to the pharmacy at least once a month. Nearly all respondents used pharmacies to buy medicine and collect prescriptions. Many also used pharmacies to get treatment and advice on medical conditions, but more specialised services, such as blood pressure checks, were largely unused and unknown.

Just under three quarters of respondents (71.43%) were already receiving treatment for common conditions at the pharmacy, and that 79% of participants would feel comfortable receiving such treatment at the pharmacy. Most participants were happy to access health services at both the pharmacy and the GP, but people generally preferred the GP for more specialised services. Furthermore, while most (73%) people felt positively about pharmacists’ knowledge and expertise, several participants commented that the quality of service varied greatly between pharmacists. 

Only one participant mentioned Pharmacy First by name. However, they were confused about whether it was active or not: “Before you could get treatment for common conditions at the pharmacy but not anymore. Everywhere I go they tell me it has stopped.” This may be due to confusion over a similarly named service which previously existed in Lambeth, now called Pharmacy First Plus.

Overall, respondents reported positive experiences at the pharmacy. However, privacy at the pharmacy was viewed negatively. 37% of respondents rated privacy at the pharmacy as either “Poor” or “Very poor”, while another third (31%) of responses rated it as “Neither good nor bad”. Two respondents commented on the lack of confidentiality when giving out personal details (e.g. name or DOB) when collecting a prescription, while another wished there was a private consultation room for discussing health issues with the pharmacist.