Experiences of community pharmacy services in Croydon

Between August and November 2025, Healthwatch Croydon surveyed 211 Croydon residents about their experience of using community pharmacy services. They also asked 16 pharmacists about their experience of delivering services to ensure they got a rounded perspective on community pharmacy services.

The recent Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) (Croydon Council, 2025), provides key information about the delivery of community pharmacy. This report and the survey Healthwatch Croydon carried out seeks to complement the PNA work to give commissioners and service providers greater insight on how Croydon service users see community pharmacy. Another aspect of this project was to gain community pharmacy providers perspective on their experience delivering the service to help provide further insight about this service.

Some key findings

• Services currently most used were about medicines and tests
• Residents would like to use a wider range of services
• Location was convenient and opening hours worked for most residents
• Knowledge of Pharmacy First was known by nearly half (44%)
• Just over a quarter used Pharmacy First (28%). Of those 34% (18% overall) had used it for relevant conditions, such as earache and sore throat
• Most (75%) of those who did not know about Pharmacy First are now aware of it and would use it
• Overall experience of community pharmacy is very positive or positive at 91%