Did pharmacy learn from the 2013 Which? report into OTC advice?
C+D’s editor asks why the latest Which? findings brought a sense of déjà vu
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” according to philosopher George Santayana.
History certainly seemed to be repeating itself last Saturday, when Which? released the results of its latest mystery shopper exercise across 78 independent, multiple and supermarket pharmacies. The consumer charity rated a third of the premises it visited as “poor”, for delivering what it deemed to be unsatisfactory advice when selling – or refusing to sell – two ibuprofen-containing products together.
There was a sense of déjà vu for those who can remember Which?’s last venture into community pharmacies, when it sent undercover reporters to 122 pharmacies in 2013, asking a pharmacist or a member of staff either for Pantoloc Control, Imigran Recovery, or complaining of persistent diarrhoea.
These mystery shoppers reported that 43% of pharmacies were giving out unsatisfactory advice, by failing to ask necessary questions to check patient safety. At the time, academics and representative bodies warned that pharmacies would continue to fall short when it came to over-the-counter (OTC) medicines advice unless staff were better trained or pharmacists become more involved in sales.
So, did the sector learn the lessons of 2013? The results of the latest Which? investigation suggest that while many pharmacies have made progress, there is still some way to go to bring everyone up to the same level.
The timing of the latest report could have been better. Coming six days after NHS England made a concerted push across primetime TV for the public to use pharmacies as a first port-of-call for minor health concerns, there is a risk the Which? findings will only entrench stubborn scepticism about diverting patients from overburdened GP practices and A&E departments, no matter the ailment.
So how can the sector prevent future negative headlines? Back in 2013, pharmacists told C+D that they used the Which? findings as an impetus to improve OTC training for their staff, update their sales protocols, and encourage meaningful conversations with customers.
With many pharmacists and their teams now facing a perfect storm of increasing patient demand, unpredictable drug prices and dwindling funding, achieving the highest standard of OTC advice may no longer seem like the highest priority. But improving the quality of advice doesn’t have to involve signing everyone up to expensive training courses. It can be as straightforward as setting aside time to reiterate the impact of an effective consultation, organising refresher sessions in any quiet periods, and ensuring best practice is shared across the team.
By taking a proactive approach to bringing every pharmacy up to the same standard, we can ensure that the sector is not condemned to repeat negative Which? headlines in another five years.
Are you using the Which? findings to bolster your pharmacy team’s OTC advice? Let us know by emailing [email protected]
James Waldron is editor of C+D. Email him at [email protected] or contact him on Twitter at @CandDJamesW