Rugby Pharmacy Report
Download (PDF 753.53 KB)Summary of report content
Between April and July 2024 Healthwatch Warwickshire asked people across Rugby about their experiences of using pharmacy. They heard from 267 people.
The majority of people prefer to use the same pharmacy each visit, are loyal, and use pharmacies at least once per month.
People understand the pressures locally on pharmacies and pharmacists. Generally, their comments and satisfaction levels take this into account. Much of the frustration, about both community and hospital pharmacies, was specifically around time taken to dispense medications.
People who do not use technology, either by choice or circumstances prevent them, to communicate with pharmacies and GPs (15% of respondents, 17 with a Disability, 37 with a Long-Term Condition, 6 Carers and one veteran) need to be factored into new initiatives and processes so that they are not left out or forgotten.
People who experience delays in their medication want to be kept informed about lack of stock and solutions to these delays.
Pharmacy First is not yet fully understood, or trusted. Those who have experience have found it to be a good service on the whole, although there is variability between different pharmacies as to how successfully it is being used.