Mystery shopping the accessibility of Islington pharmacies
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Healthwatch Islington decided to undertake mystery shopping of the accessibility of Islington pharmacies. Their volunteers visited 40 pharmacies and assessed them against a series of criteria to evaluate their accessibility. Their volunteers also checked how easy it was to see that additional NHS services were available at the pharmacies they visited.
The size and layouts of pharmacies varied hugely. Some were easily accessible and offered a large range of NHS services, others were limited in size and seemed to provide more basic pharmacy services such as medicine dispensing and advice.
It was striking how much accessibility varied across pharmacies – from level access to hearing loop provision. Physical accessibility, particularly for those with a wheelchair or buggy, was limited in a number of cases.
Automatic doors can make pharmacies more accessible for residents who are physically disabled or frail, but the majority of pharmacies did not have them.
The additional NHS funded services on offer at local pharmacies are not clearly advertised. When looking at the range of NHS services available in local pharmacies, many residents could find a solution to their problem without ever having to contact the GP but this is not clearly advertised in pharmacies, on GP websites or more generally.