The public don’t appreciate what pharmacy can do because the profession undersells itself. Pharmacy staff could do more to improve public perception, says IPF chief executive Claire Ward

I was asked recently what I thought the primary role of the General Pharmaceutical Council was, and after responding with the obvious – a professional regulator – I gave some further thought to what that really means to pharmacists.

There is no doubt that the separation of professional body and regulator has been the right course of action, perhaps rather belatedly for pharmacists. As a solicitor, I remember when the Law Society was forced to recognise that it too could not be the solicitors’ ‘union’ whilst at the same time being their regulator. It seemed rather apt that lawyers were finally forced to consider the need to distinguish been the roles of judge, prosecutor and defendant within their own profession.

The GPhC is certainly not there to protect pharmacy or pharmacists – its primary role is the protection of the public. The new inspection regime is not about the promotion of pharmacy. It is about standard setting, which is primarily a publicly focused outcome. But it should, inevitably, result in improvements in the profession and the public reaction to it.

Public perception

So the recent study commissioned by the GPhC into the public perception of pharmacists and the trust that they hold in them has been very interesting. If you have not seen the report or media coverage of it, you can find it on the GPhC website.

It had three main aims – to determine how the public perceive pharmacy as a health profession and how much they trust the advice they are given; to understand where the public would consider seeking information or specific services such as flu vaccination and smoking cessation: and finally to explore the experience of visiting pharmacies or using pharmacy services.

One of my reasons for being so passionate about community pharmacy, despite not being a pharmacist, is that I believe pharmacy undersells itself and it can and should do better. Perhaps it is my political training and affiliations that have led to me campaigning for community pharmacy as the unrecognised champion among healthcare professions.

Community pharmacy too often undersells itself and allows the public to see it as a medicines delivery point and retail outlet. Pharmacy is so much more than that. The problem is that not enough people actually understand the extent of services that pharmacy provides. Nor do many understand the expertise that exists within a pharmacy.

Just when you (as the messenger) are bored of the message, the public are only just beginning to hear it

When you look at the report, it seems my theory that people do not understand the value of pharmacy is borne out. Although the public trust pharmacists, they do so to a lesser extent than other healthcare professionals, especially GPs. Although 87 per cent of those polled said they trust pharmacists’ advice a great deal or a fair amount, their trust in GPs (95 per cent) and the degree to which they trust those GPs is significantly higher than for other professions. It is the older generation and those who are regular users of pharmacy who are more likely to trust pharmacists.

Given the publicity by multiple pharmacies and supermarkets in particular, it was surprising to note that only 7 per cent of people would think of approaching their pharmacy for a flu vaccination, preferring either GPs or the practice nurse. There is clearly much more work to do.

What I know about communications and messaging to the public confirms this. Just when you (as the messenger) are bored of the message, the public are only just beginning to hear it. This is the rule of political parties and politicians – hence the reason why we hear the same messages over and over again. Indeed, the report confirms that many people’s reason for not seeking information on flu vaccination or other services is simply out of habit – they are used to accessing their GP and simply don’t give a further thought to their local pharmacy.

The good news

Finally, the polling on current use of pharmacies strengthens the argument that they are still a well-used resource. Four out of five respondents confirmed they had visited a pharmacy in the past 12 months, with over a third visiting at least once a month. Experiences of those using pharmacies were overwhelmingly positive.

Considering that the role of the GPhC is to protect the public, this report has been a valuable gift for community pharmacy. It shows in black and white that community pharmacy is still undersold and undervalued.

The people that can change that perception are not sitting at the GPhC. They are sitting in pharmacies across the country and in the organisations that represent them. Only when we are bored of hearing just how good community pharmacy is and what more it can do, will the public and the policy makers begin to hear, too.

Finally, to help with getting that message out, remember that the general election presents a great opportunity to remind politicians and the public of the value of community pharmacy. So invite your local MP to visit your pharmacy and urge them to support the community pharmacy manifesto.
For more information go to www.pharmacymanifesto.com

Contacting the IPF: The Independent Pharmacy Federation can be reached by e-mail at claire@theipf.co.uk, or via its website at www.theipf.co.uk