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In 2005, there were 11,601 community pharmacies in England, Wales and Scotland; of these, 9,742 were in England, 1,154 in Scotland and 705 in Wales
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A 2003 ICM national opinion poll on the public’s perception and usage of pharmacy revealed very strong levels of customer loyalty. 80% regarded their local pharmacy as the most convenient place to get healthcare advice and over the counter medicines. The aging and the most socially and economically disadvantaged particularly regarded their pharmacist and pharmacy as being ‘at the heart of the local community’ – in a valued and trusted role ‘a family friend’.
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In 2004, local pharmacies in England dispensed 686 million prescription items - an increase of 5.3 per cent on 2003
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In 2004, the net ingredient cost of all prescriptions dispensed in England was £ 8,080 million; an increase of 7.6 per cent or 5.2 per cent in real terms on 2003
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In 2004, the average net ingredient cost per prescription item in England was £11.78; an increase of 1.9 per cent or -0.4 per cent decrease in real terms on 2003
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In 2004, there were on average 13.7 prescription items per head of population in England compared to 13.0 in 2003
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In 2004, 86.9 per cent of all prescription items dispensed in England were free to patients
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Community pharmacy could manage an estimated 8% of adult attendances to Accident & Emergency departments
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Estimates suggest that the NHS could save about £380 million a year if 1 in 4 patients consulted their local pharmacist about minor ailments instead of their GP
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Local pharmacists support and advise other healthcare professionals: nurses, doctors, and health visitors may need help with issues such as selecting effective medicines and identifying side-effects and interactions.
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Local pharmacists provide prescribing support and medicines management services to ensure safety and quality of prescribing.
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Community Pharmacists provide support for people in long-term care – visiting nursing homes and providing advice and training to staff .
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GPs believe that pharmacists could offer additional benefits to patients, such as advice on smoking cessation, skin care, blood pressure and diabetes
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The new pharmacy contract for pharmacies in England and Wales means you can now access a wider range of services from your local community pharmacy, including:
Advice on managing long-term conditions
- If you use the same medicines regularly, you may be able to get your repeat prescriptions direct from the pharmacist
- Accredited pharmacies provide Medicines Use Reviews to help you understand more about the medicines you are taking
Information on looking after yourself, including:
- Stopping smoking
- Managing your weight
- Sexual health
- Keeping your heart healthy
Support for self-care
- Treatment for a growing range of common illnesses
- Holiday health help
- Advice on all aspects of medicines and their uses.
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