Parental use of community pharmacy for childhood illness in the UK: a cross-sectional study of help-seeking, trust and readiness for an expanded primary care role

When a child develops a fever, a rash, or a persistent cough, parents face a familiar crossroads. They must decide where to turn for help: a doctor's office, a hospital, a phone line, or perhaps the local shop that sells medicine. In the United Kingdom, this decision-making process is shifting. For decades, community pharmacies have been viewed primarily as places to collect prescribed medicines. However, a new wave of policy and practice is transforming these shops into accessible front doors for everyday health care. The government is actively encouraging people to use pharmacists for minor illnesses, aiming to ease pressure on general practitioners and provide faster, more convenient care. This shift relies on a simple but crucial assumption: that parents trust pharmacists enough to ask them for advice about their children's health. Understanding whether this trust exists, and what influences it, is essential for designing a healthcare system that works for families.

To explore this, researchers at Imperial College London conducted a study involving 545 parents and caregivers across the UK. They wanted to see how families actually behave when their children are unwell, who they trust for information, and whether they would be willing to use pharmacies for services like vaccinations. The team did not just ask people what they thought; they looked at real patterns of behavior. They surveyed parents about their recent experiences with childhood illnesses, asking specifically where they sought help for symptoms like sore throats, colds, and injuries. They also measured how confident parents felt about a pharmacist's ability to handle these situations and whether they would accept a vaccine for their child at a pharmacy counter.

The results paint a clear picture of a healthcare landscape in transition. More than half of the parents surveyed visit a pharmacy at least once a month, though most of these visits are for picking up prescriptions or buying over-the-counter medicines for minor issues. When it comes to seeking advice for a sick child, the patterns are specific. For common, self-limiting conditions like colds, sore throats, and skin rashes, parents frequently turn to the pharmacy. In fact, for sore throats and colds, more parents chose the pharmacy than the general practitioner. However, the trust is not universal across all ailments. When a child has a wheezing cough, a serious injury, or a high fever, parents overwhelmingly prefer to see a doctor. This suggests that parents are not blindly handing over all care to pharmacists; rather, they are making nuanced judgments, using the pharmacy for what they perceive as manageable, everyday problems while reserving the doctor for more serious or complex concerns.

Confidence in pharmacists varies depending on the situation. Parents expressed high levels of trust in a pharmacist's advice for respiratory issues like colds and sore throats, with roughly three-quarters feeling confident in this area. Trust drops significantly when the issue involves injuries or limb problems, where confidence levels are much lower. The study also revealed that age and gender play a role in these choices. Older parents were significantly more likely to seek advice from a pharmacy than younger ones, and mothers were more likely to consult a pharmacist than fathers. Interestingly, the more often a family visited a pharmacy for general reasons, the less likely they were to seek specific medical advice there, perhaps because they viewed the pharmacy primarily as a place for supplies rather than consultation.

Perhaps the most encouraging finding for the future of community health care is the willingness to accept vaccinations. Nearly 90 percent of parents said they would be willing to have their children vaccinated at a pharmacy. This openness was even higher among those who had previously sought advice from a pharmacist. The study found that parents are not just open to the idea; they see value in it, especially if the pharmacist has specific training in child health and if the service is bundled with free access to over-the-counter medicines. This suggests that the infrastructure for a broader role for pharmacists is already in place, supported by a public that is ready to use it for the right services.

The researchers conclude that the expansion of pharmacy-based care for children is supported by current behavior and attitudes. Parents are already using pharmacies for the very conditions that new government programs aim to treat. The key to success lies in clear communication. If parents understand exactly which symptoms are appropriate for a pharmacy visit and which require a doctor, the system can function smoothly. The study suggests that with the right training for staff and clear guidance for families, community pharmacies can become a reliable, trusted part of the primary care network, offering a convenient alternative for the everyday health needs of children without compromising safety.