Use of community pharmacies: a population-based survey

Background Community pharmacies are widely used in the UK, but the services they provide are changing, with pharmacists expected to take on wider roles and responsi-bilities. The impact of such changes will partly depend on who uses pharmacies and their illnesses. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey of a stratified random sample of 10 000 adults aged 35 years plus. Results In the previous month, 59 per cent of respondents had collected a prescription medicine and 40 per cent had purchased an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine from a phar-macy, whereas only 12 per cent had asked for advice. Women were more likely to have obtained medicine or asked for advice (76 per cent), but nearly two-thirds of men had done so (63 per cent). Poor self-rated health was the key factor in obtaining medicine, both on prescription and OTC. Purchasers of OTC medicine were more likely to be younger and from higher socio-economic classes, whereas those who collected prescription medicine were more likely to be older, feel at risk of vascular health problems and non-smok-ers. Medicines to treat cold and flu symptoms were the most frequently reported purchase type. Only a small number of respondents who asked for advice had not also obtained medicine. Respondents who asked for advice were more likely to have asked about a specific medicine or illness than to have asked for general health advice. Conclusion Whilst those with poorer health are more likely to visit, a wide range of ages and social classes visit phar-macies each month. This provides an opportunity for public health initiatives to be delivered in pharmacies