GPhC commissioned survey shows that trust in pharmacy is high

According to a GPhC report on the public perceptions of pharmacy in England, Scotland and Wales, the vast majority of people trust health advice from a pharmacist. The report is based on a survey of members of the general public in Great Britain carried out by Ipsos MORI last autumn.

Although a family doctor or GP was the most common response from respondents in terms of where to seek any health information, the survey demonstrates that pharmacists are seen as a key source of information for advice on medicines and for information about stopping smoking.

The use of pharmacy in England, Scotland and Wales is relatively high with almost four in five respondents saying they had visited a pharmacy at least once in the last 12 months and with medicinal transactions listed as the most common reason for a visit. When thinking about their last experience of a pharmacy, most respondents agreed that staff were seen to be knowledgeable and able to provide the required information and advice. However, there are some differences in how the general public perceive their pharmacy experience across the different countries.

Commenting on the report, Duncan Rudkin, Chief Executive of the GPhC said:

“This report provides us with a useful insight into how pharmacy is perceived by patients and the general public. The role of pharmacy and the knowledge and skills required of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians have changed in the last few decades. It continues to evolve and regulation needs to keep pace with those changes. This report will therefore support our ongoing work around refocusing a number of our functions, and in particular the development of our regulatory and pharmacy standards, our prototype inspections model and our guidance.”

The GPhC commissioned the survey to gain better insight into public perception of the pharmacy profession and pharmacy services, including how they trust advice they may receive from pharmacy staff. The report also provides a better understanding of where the public considers seeking information about specific health services and explores the experiences of those who responded to the survey of visiting pharmacies and using pharmacy services.  

A link to the report can be found here.