PharmacistsOur investigation

It’s important that you can trust your pharmacist

Are pharmacists doing a good enough job?

Which? has found unsuitable and potentially dangerous advice being given by poorly trained pharmacy staff. Although there have been some improvements in pharmacies in the four years since our last test, pharmacists now have more responsibilities than ever. Can they afford these slip-ups?

We sent our undercover investigators to 101 pharmacies across the UK (see ‘Our research’, below). Since our last test in 2004, some aspects, such as offering a private area for discussing sensitive issues, have changed for the better; but a third of our investigators got unsatisfactory advice or questioning on their visit.

Bad advice

Overall, investigators received unsatisfactory advice in 48% of independent pharmacies, 38% of national and regional chains and 26% of the biggest players and supermarkets.

This unsatisfactory advice could have led to customers being given unsuitable medicine for migraines; missing a serious infection which was causing traveller’s diarrhoea; or avoidably suffering a sexually transmitted disease.

Around half of you told us that you already use your pharmacy for advice on common illnesses and your medicines, so it’s important that you can trust what you’re told.

Chemists compared

Percentage of visits that our experts rated as 'good'
Company	Percentage of people
Boots	33%
Independents	29%
Alliance/Moss	25%
National & regional	25%
Lloyds	17%
Supermarkets	15%

Percentage of visits that our experts rated as 'satisfactory'
Company	Percentage of people
Alliance/Moss	58%
Boots	47%
Lloyds	46%
Supermarkets	43%
National & regional	38%
Independents	35%

Percentage of visits that our experts rated as 'unsatisfactory'
Company	Percentage of people
Independents	48%
Lloyds	38%
National & regional	38%
Supermarkets	29%
Boots	20%
Alliance/Moss	17%

Advice given by independent pharmacies is worse than in other types. Our investigators found that advice was unsatisfactory in just less than half of visits to independent pharmacies.

The big chains Alliance and Moss and Boots came out better, with unsatisfactory advice given in only 17% and 20% of visits respectively.

Our research

In May 2008, 13 investigators made 101 visits to different UK pharmacies and acted out three different scenarios – one in each pharmacy. They visited big pharmacists (Lloyds, Boots, Alliance and Moss – these last three are now part of Alliance-Boots, but we refer to them by their high-street name), supermarkets, national and regional chains, and independents. A panel of three experienced pharmacists gave their verdicts on the advice given.

We also carried out a survey of Which? online panel members about their current and future use of pharmacies and medicine use reviews.

In June 2008, a researcher bought medication from four Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) accredited online pharmacies. Prices quoted were paid by our researcher at the time.