Recession Increases Reliance On Community Pharmacists

A survey carried out on behalf of the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) shows that levels of public reliance on community pharmacists for healthcare services have grown significantly since the start of the Irish economic recession.

According to the survey, which was carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), 91% of community pharmacists say that levels of general healthcare reliance on their service has grown as a result of the recession. These services include advice on minor ailments, health promotion (such as advice and support on obesity and smoking cessation) and basic health screenings, e.g. cholesterol.

Community pharmacies are the most accessible part of the healthcare system, with people visiting a pharmacy 19 times a year and the average opening hours of a pharmacy being 63 hours per week.

The IPU has been calling for the expansion of the role of pharmacists for a number of years. In the last 18 months, the role of the pharmacist has grown with pharmacists now providing Emergency Hormonal Contraception without a prescription and also providing the flu vaccine. These services deliver real healthcare benefits and savings across the Irish healthcare system.

However, the full healthcare potential of the community pharmacy sector remains significantly underexploited in Ireland, particularly when compared with other countries. The PwC survey shows that 97% of community pharmacists believe their healthcare potential is being under-exploited.

(CD/GK)