Researchers are calling for pharmacies to deliver more public health services, as it’s revealed that pharmacies are more accessible than GPs. Charlotte Rixon reports

More people in England live within easy walking distance of a community pharmacy than a general practice, according to a new study, suggesting that pharmacies should take on a bigger role in tackling health inequalities. The research, led by Dr Adam Todd from Durham University School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health, found that 89 per cent of the population of England live within a 1.6km radius of a community pharmacy – a distance which can be covered in 20 minutes at a walking pace – compared with 85 per cent who live within the same distance of a GP surgery.

Access all areas

The researchers discovered that pharmacies trump GPs for proximity to people’s homes in both urban areas (98.3 per cent compared to 94.2 per cent) and suburban areas (79.9 compared to 68.1 per cent), as well as in affluent and deprived areas. Only in rural areas are GPs located slightly closer to where people live than pharmacies (19.4 per cent compared to 18.9 per cent).

The findings, published in BMJ Open, also show that the ‘inverse care law’, where good quality healthcare is most available to those who need it least, does not apply to the physical accessibility of community pharmacies or GPs. In fact, nearly 100 per cent of people in deprived areas have easy access to a community pharmacy and 98 per cent live within walking distance of a GP.

Perfectly placed

Elizabeth Wade, director of policy at Pharmacy Voice, described the research as “further evidence that with easy access and no need to make an appointment, community pharmacies are exceptionally well-placed to help tackle some of the major public health concerns putting pressure on the health service, working alongside GPs.” Dr Todd encouraged commissioners to consider the findings when commissioning public health services, and called for more research into “who uses which services and how patients feel about going to their pharmacist or GP for advice on conditions such as smoking”.