Just under half (44 per cent) of adults support the NHS making weight loss injections free through their community pharmacy, rising to 55% among those aged 16 – 34 year old new polling commissioned by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has found.
The polling comes as the government are poised to publish their long awaited 10 year plan for the NHS, with reports suggesting ministers are considering an investment in more accessible clinical services for patients through local pharmacies, including weight loss treatments.
In April, 1.6 million packs of Wegovy and Mounjaro were bought in the UK, with over 1.4 million supplied through pharmacies according to IQVIA, with new polling showing possible public demand being much higher.
Pharmacies are already providing weight loss treatment in line with criteria set out by the MHRA. Meanwhile, the NHS are rolling the medication out to significantly smaller numbers of people at the very highest risk from obesity and associated ill-health.
The polling, commissioned by the NPA and carried out by Savanta also found that:
· 45 per cent of the public wanted to see more minor illness treatment services from their local pharmacy, while a further 48% would like to see more local NHS services close to where they live.
· There is strong public support for shifting care out of hospitals and into the community, with the vast majority of people wanting to see more services delivered through primary care providers such as pharmacies and GPs. 80% would be willing to go to a GP (65%) or pharmacist (15%) for a follow up after a hospital appointment, while a further 62% would be willing to go to a GP (42%) or pharmacists (22%) for menopause advice and treatment.
The NPA are urging the government to use the imminent publication of the NHS 10 Year Plan to ‘turbo charge’ the role of community pharmacy to make care more accessible from NHS professionals on the high street and free up time that is currently being spent in other parts of the health system.
As well as this, they have urged the government to provide pharmacies with sufficient funding to deliver any new services that might be expected of them as part of the 10 year plan.
Independent economic analysis commissioned by NHS England recently found that pharmacies still face a £2.6 billion funding gap, despite recent uplifts in funding.
Henry Gregg, Chief Executive of the National Pharmacy Association said:
"This polling shows the government must listen to patients in their 10 year plan and act boldly to move care out of hospitals and into the community.
"Pharmacies continue to go out of business due to the consequences of nearly 10 years of real terms funding pressures.
"This is the time to be ambitious and invest in our pharmacies to deliver more clinical services to patients than ever before, dramatically improving access to NHS care.
“The government has a once in a generation opportunity to use the 10 Year Plan to turbo charge the role of community pharmacies who have a vital part to play in creating a neighbourhood health service.
"It's clear that supply for weight loss medication will need to be carefully managed to meet demand and protect access for those people who will benefit most."
Notes to Editors:
Savanta interviewed 2,002 UK adults aged 18+ online between the 20th June and 23rd of June 2025. Data were weighted to be representative of the UK by age, gender, and region. Savanta is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.
