From first port-of-call to public health partner: what the public tells us

Community pharmacy is increasingly positioned as a cornerstone of public health delivery; however, we cannot assume the public’s readiness to engage with these services. 

Professor Delyth James, Jordan Smith and I analysed free‑text responses from the ‘Public perceptions of the role of community pharmacy in public health questionnaire’ (PubPharmQ)^​1​, offering timely insights into how pharmacy’s expanding contribution is perceived by the public^​2​. 

Importantly, our findings do not suggest a lack of willingness to engage with pharmacy-based public health services. Instead, they indicate that public understanding has not always kept pace with the expansion of pharmacy’s role, despite high levels of trust in pharmacy teams and strong recognition of their accessibility. While respondents were open to receiving public health-related support in the pharmacy setting, they remained most familiar with community pharmacy’s medicines supply function, with less understanding of the wider roles of the pharmacy team and public health services offered.

Relationships with pharmacy teams emerged as central to engagement. Approachability, continuity of staff and perceived professionalism shaped public confidence and willingness to raise health concerns. Privacy was also a key theme, with advice-seeking behaviour influenced by concerns about being overheard at the pharmacy counter or uncertainty about the effectiveness of consulting rooms in providing privacy. 

Encouragingly, many respondents described the pharmacy as their first port-of-call for medicine-related issues and minor ailments, highlighting pharmacy’s established role in initial care‑seeking. However, for some respondents, hesitancy to seek advice was linked to the visible busyness of pharmacies. Notably, this appeared to reflect recognition of how much community pharmacy already delivers, rather than doubts about competence or value. Despite viewing community pharmacy as an appropriate first port-of-call, these respondents expressed reluctance to approach staff when the pharmacy was visibly busy, not wishing to add additional workload or distract staff from dispensing-related duties.

Taken together, these findings suggest that pharmacy does not need to reinvent its contribution to public health. Instead, modest refinements, such as making expertise within the team more visible, actively offering privacy or clearly signalling availability for public health conversations, may increase public confidence and engagement further. Community pharmacy is already delivering extensive public health activity under significant system pressures. Small, practical adjustments in how this work is signposted and experienced could help ensure that public perceptions better reflect the reality of modern pharmacy practice, supporting appropriate use of services and strengthening trust in a profession that the public already values highly.

Sarah Brown

Candidate for the inaugural elections to the Welsh Pharmacy Advisory Council