Men encouraged to ask their local pharmacy for advice

Ask Your Pharmacist Week starts today (5th November), where men will be encouraged to take a more active interest in their health.

A study by the  the National Pharmacy Association has found that men are much less likely than women to take advantage of primary care services, including community pharmacies. They are also unwilling to consult a pharmacist face-to-face or seek treatment when sick.

Men visit their GP four times a year compared to six times for women, according to the NPA. On average they visit a pharmacy four times a year compared with 18 for women. More men than women admit that their understanding of medicines is poor, and they are twice as likely to take a new prescription medicine without first reading the patient information leaflet or seeking professional advice.

Efforts will also be made to highlight the pharmacy support available to men to maintain good health. 

Thousands of NPA members will display ‘Two Small Steps for Man’ window posters, which encourage men to step inside the pharmacy and enquire about the NHS support available.

Pharmacy Minister Lord Howe said: “Last year’s Ask Your Pharmacist initiative was tremendously successful in encouraging people to take more interest in their medicine and making sure that people know about the extensive range of services available at their local pharmacy. I’m sure that this year will build on that good work and target a particularly hard to reach group - men. Getting men to engage with health professionals is notoriously difficult and I’m delighted that the NPA is highlighting this tricky issue.” 

Mike Holden, Chief Executive of the National Pharmacy Association said:

“AYP Week is a great platform for a concerted public awareness drive, we’re delighted at the number of events taking place during the week.”