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The community pharmacy ‘Ask for ANI’ scheme, which was established in January 2021 to help victims of domestic abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic, will end on 4 November 2024, the charity behind the scheme has announced.
Ask for ANI (‘Action Needed Immediately’) was set up by the Home Office and managed by Hestia, a charity offering support to people in crisis, as part of its ongoing ‘UK Says No More‘ campaign.
Under the scheme, people experiencing domestic abuse can receive support by going into a pharmacy and asking to speak to ‘Ani’.
Anyone using this codeword would be invited to a private space within the pharmacy, where they could talk to a trained pharmacy worker to discuss contacting the police or accessing domestic abuse support services.
A spokesperson for the Home Office told The Pharmaceutical Journal that the scheme “was introduced to address the specific challenges faced by domestic abuse victims during the COVID-19 pandemic”.
“Now the pandemic has passed, it is the right time to wind it down. We’d like to thank all pharmacies who participated,” they added.
“We are absolutely committed to supporting victims of domestic abuse — which is why have set out an unprecedented mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, overhauling every aspect of society’s response to these devastating crimes.”
In February 2024, Laura Farris, then Home Office minister, said that community pharmacists had referred at least 186 people to domestic abuse support services through ‘Ask for ANI’ since its launch.
Although the scheme will end, pharmacies can still support people experiencing domestic abuse through the UK Says No More ‘Safe spaces’ scheme, which will continue to operate.
Community pharmacies signed up to the ‘Safe spaces’ scheme make their consultation rooms available to people experiencing domestic abuse as a place where they can phone case workers or access other support services.
Sue Harper, deputy director of domestic abuse and sexual violence prevention at Hestia, said: “Since March 2021, Hestia’s ‘Safe space’ scheme has provided vital support for those affected by domestic abuse and is now facilitated in over 6,000 banks and pharmacies nationwide.
“Safe Spaces operate as a self-service model, providing a quiet and private space where victim-survivors can access a phone to call friends, family members or a specialist helpline.
“Our ambition is for there to be a ‘Safe space’ on every high street and the use of consultation rooms is intrinsic to providing this life-saving support, with pharmacies playing a vital part in that.
“Since September 2022, over 57,500 pharmacists and pharmacy assistants have completed the Domestic Abuse Awareness and Safe Spaces Training to provide ‘Safe spaces’ for those experiencing domestic abuse and sexual violence.”
A notice published on the ‘UK Says No More’ website says: “From 4 November 2024, the ‘Ask for ANI’ scheme will no longer be available in pharmacies. You can continue to use the scheme until that date.”
Pharmacies can register to become a ‘Safe Space’ here.
