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And while all seven pillars are important, it’s Beyond pills and prescriptions
Pillar 1 (Health Literacy) and Pillar 7 (Rational Of course, our role doesn’t stop at pillars 1
Use of Medicines) where we can really shine. and 7. We support risk avoidance through
Pillar 1: Health Literacy and Knowledge stop smoking services and sexual health
If people don’t understand health information, advice. We promote good hygiene, whether
they can’t make good decisions about their it’s reminding people about handwashing
care. The Living Care Survey 2024 found that or running flu and COVID-19 vaccination
over half of UK adults struggle to weigh up campaigns. And increasingly, we’re part
treatment options, and fewer than half trust of conversations about mental wellbeing,
the health information they find online. No physical activity, and diet. In short, we’re
surprise there, we all know the “Dr Google”, showing that self-care isn’t just about
and now “ChatGPT” effect. Patients search medicines, it’s about building sustainable,
online, stumble across dubious advice, everyday habits that keep people healthier for
and end up more anxious than informed. longer.
This is where we step in. Unlike a website, Behavioural economics: A useful nudge
pharmacists can offer trusted, face-to-face Here’s where it gets interesting. Behavioural
explanations. Whether that’s helping someone economics, the study of how psychological
understand how to take their inhaler properly and social factors influence decision-making,
or pointing them to reliable resources like offers us powerful tools in pharmacy practice.
the NHS website or the Self-Care Forum’s People don’t always act rationally when it
fact sheets,( some available in Urdu) we can comes to their health (if they did, adherence
demystify health information at the point of wouldn’t be the issue it is!). But with the right
care. And with services like Pharmacy First nudges, we can guide them towards better
now rolling out across England, it’s even more choices. There are over 100 recognised biases
crucial that the public understands when and/or nudges we can use in community
to come to us and how we can help. Simple pharmacy. Two of my favourites are Loss
techniques, using plain language, checking aversion: Patients respond more strongly to
understanding and even drawing quick what they stand to lose than to what they
diagrams can make a huge difference to might gain. Explaining that “missing doses
adherence and outcomes. doubles your risk of complications” often
Pillar 7: Rational and Responsible Use of has more impact than “taking your medicine
Medicines halves your risk.” And Framing effects: How
If there’s one pillar that feels “made for we phrase things matters. “Get your flu jab
pharmacy,” it’s this one. to stay well” works, but “Without a flu jab
you risk passing flu to your family” can be
We know that medicines adherence is a long- even more persuasive These small shifts fit
standing challenge. Between a quarter and perfectly with our patient-centred ethos:
half of patients on long-term medicines stop helping people make the best decisions for
taking them as prescribed within six months. themselves without removing choice.
And when it comes to antibiotics, nearly 1 in
5 do not finish the course. With flu season Looking ahead
ahead, these behaviours do not just impact UK community pharmacy is right at the
individuals, they fuel antimicrobial resistance forefront of the self-care movement. By
and increase hospital admissions. Every day, embedding the seven pillars, especially health
pharmacists are on the frontline tackling literacy and rational medicine use, we can
this: counselling patients, running medicines empower patients, ease NHS pressures,
use reviews, and spotting unsafe practices and improve public health outcomes. The
before they escalate. With 1.6 million visits Living Care Survey 2024 reminds us of
to UK pharmacies every single day, the scale the challenges, misinformation and poor
of what we can achieve is huge. And it’s not adherence, but it also shows the trust people
just about making sure medicines are used place in pharmacists. Add a little behavioural
appropriately, it’s also about knowing when economics into the mix, and we’ve got a
they’re not needed. Whether that’s explaining toolkit that makes self-care both practical
why antibiotics won’t help with a viral and powerful. Self-care may have been one
infection, challenging the “more painkillers of the hottest topics at FIP, but in community
= stronger effect” myth, or suggesting non- pharmacy, it’s more than a buzzword—it’s our
medicinal strategies, we’re champions of everyday reality.
responsible use.
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