According to a YouGov survey, only 9 per cent of adults in Britain have visited a pharmacy for advice and information on lowering their risk of serious health conditions including cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
The survey was commissioned by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), Cancer Research UK, Diabetes UK and Tesco and suggests that free advice that could help people make improvements to their health is being missed.
The survey also found that, of those who had visited a pharmacist for health-related advice or checks, 43 per cent said talking to a pharmacist had eased their concerns around wasting their GP’s time. 24 per cent of those who had visited a pharmacist for health-related advice or checks found it easier to speak to someone in a pharmacy than in other healthcare settings and more than half said that not having to book and appointment was a benefit.
The three charities claim that thousands of lives could be saved every year from some of the UK's most prevalent and serious diseases, by helping people make lifestyle changes and seek referrals for concerning symptoms.
While 7.6 million people in the UK are living with heart and circulatory diseases, 4.9 million are living with diabetes and and estimated 3 million people are living with cancer; around four in 10 cases of cancer, many heart and circulatory diseases and up to five in 10 cases of type 2 diabetes could be prevented or delayed.
The survey revealed that only 2% of adults in Britain had visited their pharmacist for a blood pressure check in the last year, while an estimated 4.8 million people in the UK are living with undiagnosed high blood pressure.
The charities have been working with Tesco to provide specialist training to Tesco pharmacists and their colleagues to support conversations with the public. This training aims to help them provide more information and support for people on how they can lower their risk of these conditions through small changes to their day-to-day routine.
The charities, in partnership with Tesco, are encouraging people to use their in-store pharmacies for information and support on lowering their risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart and circulatory diseases. It is hoped that shoppers can take advantage of the convenience of having a pharmacist in the supermarket, so people can visit whilst doing their weekly shop.
On behalf of the three charities, Dan Howarth, Head of Care at Diabetes UK said: "Thousands of lives could be saved every year through people making positive changes that lower their risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart and circulatory diseases. Far more people could be taking advantage of the advice and support available to them from their Tesco pharmacy whilst they do their weekly shop, this includes tips and information on stopping smoking and weight management services.”
