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What does the evolving role of self-care mean for independent pharmacy? Jonathan Groves explains…

As a fourth-generation leader of a Gloucestershire-based family healthcare business with more than 95 years of experience, I have had the privilege of seeing how healthcare has evolved across generations.

While today’s consumers have access to far more information than those of 1930, one thing has remained constant: people still want trusted guidance when making decisions about their health, showing more than ever the importance of the role of the independent pharmacist.

Advice that has been passed down through the Lanes Health business is that “every generation has a responsibility not simply to preserve what came before, but to leave the business stronger for the next”.

That philosophy has shaped our family business for almost a century. It has taught us to respect the experience we have inherited while continuing to listen, learn and adapt to changing consumer needs. I believe the same principle applies to community pharmacy today.

Independent pharmacies have never had a more important role to play within the UK’s healthcare system. As patients increasingly seek advice and treatment closer to home, pharmacists are central to helping people manage everyday health concerns while reducing pressure on primary care services.

This role is becoming more complex because the consumer of 2026 is very different from the consumer of the 1930s.

Digital information, AI-powered search tools

Digital information, AI-powered search tools and social media mean that pharmacy customers often arrive having already researched their symptoms. This has created a more informed customer, but not necessarily a more confident one.

We recently launched our Growth Through the Generations report, which included research that four in five industry professionals (80 per cent) believe long-established healthcare businesses are best placed to support the UK's growing shift towards self-care.

To me, those findings are less about the age of a brand but about the trust an organisation offers to its retailers, professionals and consumers.

They reinforce the idea that, in an increasingly complex healthcare landscape, consumers are looking for reassurance from organisations that have demonstrated consistency over time.

This is reflected in our research, as one in six have lost trust in a brand that changed its product without explanation, and one in seven, for ethical concerns.

Affordability remains important, with 58 per cent of consumers citing price as a key purchasing factor when buying from the pharmacy counter.

However, 57 per cent also prioritise proven effectiveness. These practical considerations are now accompanied by broader expectations. Our research found that 64% of consumers would stop using a business that no longer aligned with their personal values, while 78 per cent are more likely to try something new if it comes from a business they already know and trust.

Patients want transparency alongside self-care 

For me, what a business does behind the scenes is just as important as what the customer sees. Consumers no longer separate product quality from company values.

They increasingly expect transparency, responsibility and consistency alongside effective self-care solutions. Many people now arrive at a pharmacy having already searched online or used AI tools to self-diagnose their symptoms.

Yet the pharmacist’s role has arguably become even more valuable. The sheer volume of information available through ‘Doctor GPT’ means consumers often need help interpreting it; understanding what is relevant to them and, crucially, what is not.

Every consultation offers an opportunity not only to recommend an appropriate OTC treatment, but also to educate people on self-care, preventative healthcare and identify when referral to another healthcare professional may be appropriate.

The trusted advice that independent pharmacies provide every day remains one of the profession’s greatest strengths – 31 per cent of consumers have been influenced to buy a product following a recommendation by an expert or professional.

Independent pharmacies have a unique understanding of their own communities. Knowing local demographics, seasonal health trends and customer behaviours enables them to create relevant OTC categories that genuinely support patients, rather than simply maximising shelf space.

Improve customer experience, encourage repeat visits

What’s equally important is ensuring pharmacy teams have the confidence to engage customers proactively. Well-informed conversations build trust, improve the customer experience and encourage repeat visits far more effectively than promotional activity alone.

For independent pharmacies, this trust has been built over years, often decades, of serving the same communities. That long-term relationship represents a genuine competitive advantage that purely digital healthcare providers – or AI – cannot replicate.

Nearly nine in 10 consumers (90 per cent) believe traditional healthcare businesses can still meet today’s needs because they are associated with expertise, reliability and trust.

Looking ahead, innovation will also matter. The most meaningful innovation comes from listening carefully to changing consumer behaviours and responding to genuine needs.

Ninety-five per cent of industry professionals say consumer feedback directly shapes research, development and marketing decisions within their organisations. The same philosophy applies within community pharmacy.

As our family business nears its 100th year, one lesson stands out above all others: longevity does not come from standing still. It comes from evolving with purpose while remaining true to the principles that earned people’s trust in the first place.

I believe the same is true for independent pharmacies. Listening closely to customers, adapting services accordingly and embracing innovation where it genuinely improves patient outcomes will be essential as self-care continues to evolve.

Consumers will become even more informed, technology will continue to influence healthcare decisions, and expectations around transparency, sustainability and personalised support will only grow stronger.

Yet people will continue to value trusted healthcare professionals who can help them navigate those choices with confidence: their independent pharmacist.

Jonathan Groves is the executive chairman of Lanes Health.