The UK population is getting older, and sicker. According to the Office for National Statistics, as a result of declining fertility rates and people living longer, by 2050, it is projected that one in four of us will be aged 65 or over – an increase from one in five in 2019. 

At age 65 years, we can expect to spend around half of our remaining life expectancy in good health. However, the likelihood of being disabled and/or experiencing multiple chronic and complex health conditions among those aged 65 years and over increases with age. As life expectancy increases, so does the amount of time spent in poor health. The Health Survey for England shows that in 2016, of those aged 60 to 64 years, 29 per cent had two or more chronic conditions. For those aged 75 years and over, this rises to almost half.

In a study of Canadian community pharmacies conducted in 2012, 50 per cent of patients said they expected to spend three to five minutes with a pharmacist (excluding dispensing), while 27 per cent expected to spend six to 10 minutes talking to a pharmacist. The pharmacist’s customer service and expertise are both key to the success of the patient-pharmacist relationship. A more recent Portuguese time and motion study found that the average time for a pharmacist-patient interaction was almost exactly four minutes. 

In a survey of Scottish community pharmacies, patients were asked what would encourage them to ask a pharmacist for advice. Their responses included having a set time when they could either telephone or drop in to speak to the pharmacist, and if the pharmacist was more readily available for them to speak to, rather than busy in the back of the shop.

Community pharmacy has always hailed itself as the most accessible healthcare service, but your time is often not your own, as you respond to demand activities, such as dispensing.

Time is a challenge for any healthcare professional, but the quality of time spent with a patient is what fuels improved outcomes, better relationships and patient satisfaction. Time is measured in hours, minutes and seconds; quality time is measured in the strength of relationships and long-term survival.

You can improve time quality by focusing on:

• What you want 
• The patient experience 
• Your work systems and processes
• Focused pharmacist-patient engagement 
• How your pharmacy shapes up from the patient’s point of view – how do you fare during the pharmacy’s ‘moment of truth’ (MOT)?
• Team knowledge and expertise.

Some pharmacists may not need to find any more time for patients, but may need to use the available time more effectively. A few focused minutes with a patient can really make a difference to the quality of engagement and subsequent patient care and outcome.