In News

Follow this topic

Bookmark

Record learning outcomes

The Common Ailments Service in Wales is rated ‘excellent’ by 95 per cent of patients, an academic study has found, with patients offered both advice and treatment by community pharmacies especially likely to express satisfaction with their CAS consultation.

The paper, which is jointly authored by Cardiff University researchers, Digital Health and Care Wales and the Welsh Government’s primary care services division, was published earlier this month in Pharmacy.

Pharmacies providing the CAS, which launched in 2013, can manage 28 common conditions through advice and treatment free of charge and with no appointment needed.

A total of 3,660 people were surveyed between October 27, 2025 and March 31, 2026 after being invited to take part in a ‘census’ on their experience of having a CAS consultation.

The conditions for which the most completed responses were received were sore throat and urinary tract infections. Just under 80 per cent had visited the pharmacy without first trying to see their GP, with 42 per cent saying they would have visited their GP had the service not been available.

Just under 98 per cent were able to be treated at the pharmacy without the need for onward referral, with 93 per cent receiving advice and treatment through the CAS.

Survey questions asking patients whether the pharmacist was able to explain things to them clearly, whether they had the opportunity to ask questions and whether they were satisfied with the advice they received all had ‘agree; rates of over 98 per cent.

Ninety-five per cent of respondents said their overall experience of the service was excellent, rising to 99.3 per cent of those who received both advice and medicine.

These findings were supported by 1,499 free text comments, with common themes emerging such as consultation quality, accessibility and short waiting times.

One respondent said: “It’s worth its weight in gold – we’re so fortunate to have this service.”

Another commented: “I would have been very uncomfortable over the weekend if I had not been seen so promptly today at 5pm and I probably would have had to contact out of hours as all local GPs closed over the weekend.”

Areas for improvement were also identified, including the need for more seamless referrals from other primary care providers and having the CAS consistently available across all community pharmacies.

Over 462,000 CAS consultations occurred in 2024-25, a 34 per cent increase from 2022-23.