Online pharmacy report

Healthwatch Brighton and Hove carried out this research in early 2019 after local residents raised concerns about marketing from online pharmacy providers. Many people had received letters promoting online pharmacy services and were unsure whether the companies were linked to the NHS or how signing up might affect their existing pharmacy arrangements. In response, Healthwatch surveyed 91 residents to understand their experiences and views.

A key finding was that the marketing material caused confusion. Of the 60 respondents who had received promotional material, around half noticed the NHS logo and many felt its presence made the service appear more official or NHS-endorsed. Nearly half of those who noticed the logo said it made them more likely to consider using the service. Despite this, very few people subsequently signed up for an online pharmacy.

Take-up of online pharmacy services was very low, with only three respondents reporting that they had registered. Most people who decided not to sign up said they were satisfied with their existing local pharmacy, while others expressed concerns about the credibility of the companies or were cautious about using an online-only service. Because so few respondents had used online pharmacies, Healthwatch was unable to draw firm conclusions about the quality of those services, although experiences among the small number of users were mixed. 

The survey found strong satisfaction with local community pharmacies. Most respondents used pharmacies close to where they lived and valued services such as repeat prescription collection, health advice and over-the-counter medicines. Eighty-two per cent reported being satisfied with their local pharmacy service, with many praising staff for being professional, helpful and approachable. Healthwatch concluded that while online pharmacies may be suitable for some people, local pharmacies remained highly valued and concerns existed about the clarity and presentation of online pharmacy marketing.