Positive Pharmacy Experiences
December 2024
The NHS in Scotland has long supported the need for community-based services to deliver high-quality and sustainable health services. In the case of community pharmacies, 55% of pharmacies are in the 40% most deprived areas of Scotland. This is also where the greatest needs for health interventions exist, linked to increased levels of poverty, deprivation, poor housing, and substance use.
Research shows that Community Pharmacy teams give advice to around 4.4 million people in Scotland every year. Community pharmacy is widely accepted as the most accessible healthcare location often without the need to make an appointment.
With this level of accessibility and frequency of use, part of my work within HIS is ensuring that patients have a positive experience when visiting pharmacies, the outcome will be to make it a pleasurable experience to visit and work in pharmacies. Research has shown that positive healthcare experiences lead to better health outcomes with reduced rates of harm.
As I reflect on almost 30 years of being a pharmacist and my current role providing improvement support to the drug and alcohol system; I know that pharmacy teams play a crucial role in delivering positive pharmacy experiences for people impacted by substance use. The work done engaging with those who deliver and receive care has told us that there are 7 key areas that contribute to positive experiences.
- Person-centred care: treating people with respect and dignity, and tailoring services to meet their unique needs.
- Trauma-informed approach: Understanding the impact of trauma and how to provide care in a way that avoids re-traumatisation.
- Stigma reduction: Creating a non-judgemental culture where both staff and people who use pharmacies are accepting of people.
- Collaborative Care: To ensure the best outcomes and care for those who visit pharmacies.
- Confidentiality: Ensuring that a person’s privacy is respected.
- Education and support: Providing people with information about their conditions, their options and what matters to them.
- Accessibility: Making pharmacy services easily accessible and reducing barriers to care are an integral part of maximising outcomes.
To read more about the 7 key areas, click here.
Through the implementation of these practices, pharmacy teams can significantly improve the experience and outcomes for every one of the 2,100 people who receive advice from a community pharmacy every hour in Scotland.
As we approach the end of our current phase of work within Healthcare Improvement Scotland, we understand the system, how to support it to make necessary changes and the essential role of pharmacy in the support of those with a substance use disorder. We also recognise the need for both financial and technological resources to allow the system to reach its full potential.
As pharmacy professionals we all have the responsibility to uphold the GPhC standards, Standard 1 is focused around providing person-centred care and ensuring that this is not compromised by personal values and beliefs. Many of the changes required to improve pharmacy experiences are about attitudes and culture and thankfully even in these financially challenging times are within the gift of pharmacy teams to make the changes with little costs incurred. In the GPhC guidance "In Practice: Guidance on religion, personal values and beliefs" they pose some helpful questions that all pharmacy professionals to ensure they can demonstrate person-centred care.
In summary, we have a duty to patients accessing services, and colleagues providing these to make the changes required to deliver positive outcomes. How are you going to make your pharmacy a better place to visit and work in?
Adrian MacKenzie, Healthcare Improvement Scotland