Pharmacists face daily abuse including instances of strangulation and punching, survey finds

Pharmacists have experienced incidents of abuse including strangulation, pushing, punching, objects being thrown, and attacks after closing time, a sector survey has found.

More than half (55%) of pharmacies had experienced verbal abuse in the past six months, Community Pharmacy England’s (CPE) survey of 289 pharmacy owners has found.

Three quarters (75%) of those had experienced it weekly and one in five (21%) reported daily verbal abuse from patients.

Physical abuse was less common but remained a ‘deeply concerning threat’ with 6% if pharmacies reporting physical assaults in the previous six months, CPE said.

These incidents included strangulation, pushing, punching, objects being thrown, and attacks after closing time.

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One pharmacy owner said: ‘(Our pharmacist manager) was assaulted by a patient causing physical injury, time off work, two hospital appointments and resulting in this much-respected pharmacist, [who] served his community for over 20 years, to put in his notice to take early retirement.’

Another pharmacy owner described how a ‘patient snuck behind the pharmacy counter and strangled the pharmacist’.

There were also several reports of discriminatory intimidation, including racist, religious, sexist, homophobic, and xenophobic abuse. One pharmacist said they were ‘called an [offensive racial slur] several times’, and there was another incident in which a patient refused to interact with a staff member wearing a headscarf.

In response to these reports, CPE has called for urgent, system-wide action to ensure pharmacy teams receive the same level of protection as other NHS frontline workers.

Chief executive of CPE, Janet Morrison, said: ‘Pharmacy teams are the backbone of community healthcare. They should never face any kind of abuse, racism, discrimination, threats, or violence just for doing their jobs. These findings reflect escalating abuse in one of the NHS’s most accessible frontline services and they show an urgent need for stronger system-wide protections.’

Owner and superintendent pharmacist of Healthy-U Pharmacy in Saltdean, Dervis Gurol, said: ‘Pharmacy teams absorb the frustration caused by NHS delays, medication shortages, and system failures – but it’s our staff who face threats, attacks, harassment, and disrespect.

This takes a real toll on my team, it deeply affects morale, retention, and their safety. In my pharmacy, we’ve invested in screens at counters, CCTV, and maintain good links to police community support officers, but not all pharmacies have access to these protections. Basic security or protection should be standardised and fully funded for all pharmacy premises.’

He urged the government to take a strict stance on abuse of all healthcare staff including pharmacy teams.

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Professional development manager at Kamsons Pharmacy (a family-owned group of over 80 pharmacies across England), Mark Donaghy, added: ‘While the majority will treat pharmacy staff with respect, even isolated incidents of aggression can have a profound and lasting impact on the individuals involved, their colleagues, and the service provided to the local community.’

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) said that police and NHS response to pharmacy abuse is ‘often inadequate’.

Henry Gregg, NPA chief executive, said: ‘When pharmacies report these issues to both the police and wider NHS, all too often the response is inadequate.

‘Due to their accessible position on the high street, pharmacy teams can often be more exposed to abuse and threats than their colleagues in other healthcare settings.’

Dr Leyla Hannbeck chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA) highlighted that community pharmacies are the ‘front door to the NHS’ and often the first point of contact for patients.

‘Yet despite this, they are not afforded the same level of protection as other frontline NHS workers. Pharmacy teams deserve to feel safe at work, and the Government must ensure they are given the same legal protections and support as colleagues across the wider NHS,’ she said.

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Last November, The Pharmacist spoke to several pharmacists about their experiences of patient abuse, theft and burglary and the devastating impact of these incidents on staff and on the pharmacy premises.

A recent NHS staff survey also found that almost one in seven (14.7%) of NHS staff were physically attack by a patient or the public last year – the highest rate for three years.

The survey of more than 766,000 NHS workers in England also found that almost one in ten staff (9.26%) said they were subjected to discrimination from patients and the public, the highest on record.