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Research suggests that almost three-quarters of male patients do not discuss their health with a pharmacist when visiting their local pharmacy.
The report — ‘An unfilled prescription’, published by the Men’s Health Forum on 15 June 2026 — reported that despite 92% of men surveyed saying they use their local pharmacy, 74% of them had never discussed their health with a pharmacist.
The findings were based on a UK-wide survey of 1,675 men and women aged 18–65 years, of whom 816 were men.
Researchers identified three main barriers preventing men from getting health advice. These included discomfort discussing health issues in a public retail space (22% of respondents); a perception that seeking help is a sign of weakness (33%); and a tendency to delay seeking medical advice (36%).
More than half of the men surveyed (57%) said that failing to seek advice has led to negative impacts on their lives, including missed work (15%) and strained relationships (12%).
Just under one-quarter of men surveyed said they would be more likely to talk to a pharmacist if they knew the conversation was private (24%), with a similar proportion agreeing to be referred to the NHS if needed (26%).
The report’s author Jim Pollard, a founding trustee of the Men’s Health Forum, said: “With the UK government rightly hoping to leverage pharmacies to relieve pressure on the NHS, this report is a clear call to action.
“We are committed to ensuring all men can live healthier, longer lives, and the key message for men is that pharmacy is for you. It is a far better source of health advice and information than, for example, AI, which simply cannot be recommended. By addressing the specific barriers preventing men from seeking advice, we can unlock the potential of pharmacies to become the front door to the health system for them.”
Following its research, the Men’s Health Forum has developed guidance for pharmacies, published in the report, with feedback from pharmacists who reported barriers to engaging male customers, to encourage men to seek health advice.
The guidance includes designating a clearly advertised private consulting room; nominating a ‘men’s health champion’ trained in discussing men’s health issues; offering dedicated men’s health services; reviewing opening hours and implementing online booking systems to improve access; and actively reach out to men in the community.
Tase Oputu, president of the Royal College of Pharmacy, commented: “Community pharmacies are easy to access and are well placed to help men look after their health. Many already do great work targeting men’s health with innovative outreach programmes. When men visit community pharmacies it creates opportunities for teams to raise health issues with them, helping to spot problems early and ensuring men get the right care.
“As pharmacies offer more clinical services, it’s important pharmacy teams also emphasise they have private consultation rooms available, so men understand they can have confidential conversations with a pharmacist without being overheard.”
