Public Health England (PHE) has urged pharmacists to share their ideas for getting patients to exercise more.

The advisory body called on commissioners to use pharmacists to give "opportunistic" exercise advice to patients of all ages to ensure the public stays active, in draft guidelines on physical activity published on September 11 and open for consultation until September 25.

But PHE told C+D that this would take the form of advice rather than a paid-for service.

PHE would "love to hear [a] pharmacy perspective" on how to increase the nation's physical activity as part of the consultation, it said today (September 18). 

Around half of women and a third of men in the UK were damaging their health due to a lack of physical activity, PHE said in the consultation published last week. Inactivity cost the UK £7.4 billion a year according to academic studies and the situation was "unsustainable", it stressed.

"If current trends continue, the burden of health and social care will destabilize public services and take a significant toll on quality of life for individuals and communities," it said.

In its draft guidance, PHE called for a "revolution in physical activity" and for health advice to be integrated into "every health and social care contact", including those made by pharmacists, physiotherapists, dental nurses and care assistants.

Commissioners needed to promote physical activity to children and young people, while businesses should encourage staff to be more active in their journeys to work. Local authorities could also develop personalised travel plans with detailed descriptions of healthier alternative routes, PHE added.

In an exclusive interview with C+D in June, PHE director of health and wellbeing Kevin Fenton said pharmacy was a "critical partner" in tackling modern-day health problems.

Pharmacists can email their views on the guidelines to [email protected].

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