Nearly a third of people use NHS pharmacy services every month
Nearly a third (31%) of people use NHS services at a pharmacy at least once a month, new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed.
Survey results published on September 10 also found that 88.7% of people were satisfied with the most recent NHS service they received at a pharmacy, while just 2.8% felt dissatisfied and 8.5% reported feeling neither.
Read more: Some 90% of people ‘satisfied’ with pharmacy NHS services
According to the ONS, NHS services include prescriptions, blood pressure checks, vaccinations and advice from pharmacists.
The survey found that less than a fifth of people “very rarely” use NHS services at a pharmacy, while over a quarter reported using services every two to three months.
Read more: GP leaders warn against expanded Pharmacy First service
Some 55% of respondents reported using the NHS prescription dispensing service in the last 28 days, while 3.5% had used their pharmacy for advice on a minor condition and 2% had visited to discuss their current medication.
The figures come from the NHS England-commissioned Health Insight Survey and are based on responses collected between July 21 and August 12, 2026.
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It comes after NHS England confirmed an expansion of Pharmacy First services to include acne, migraines, scabies, ear infections, and rhinitis.
And it follows a report commissioned by Boots revealing that almost three-quarters of UK adults see pharmacies as “essential” to the high street.
