52% of Pharmacies Don't Know Where to Start with Local Marketing

Oct. 29, 2026

More than half (52%) of community pharmacies don't know where to start when it comes to local marketing, according to new research by healthcare marketing agency Brand Champions.

The findings, from a Brand Champions poll of 400 pharmacy owners in England, reveal that a lack of marketing direction is the biggest obstacle to local promotion, outweighing time constraints (23%), budget limits (20%), or doubts about effectiveness (5%).

The research also highlights the consequences of this marketing challenge, with 87% of community pharmacies believing fewer than half of their patients are aware of the full range of healthcare services they offer. Nearly half of respondents (44%) stated that very few patients knew about services beyond prescription dispensing.

The findings reveal a sharp disconnect between the expanding clinical role of community pharmacies and public perception of their services - a gap made urgent by the Autumn 2026 rollout of NHS-funded independent prescribing, which enables qualified pharmacists to assess patients and prescribe medicines directly.

The NHS' Pharmacy First service is a prime example of pharmacies expanding their role, but where public awareness has yet to catch up. Launched in England in January 2024, the service enables participating pharmacies to assess and treat patients for seven common conditions, including supplying prescription-only medicines where appropriate, without the need for a GP appointment.

However, research from Healthwatch England published in June 2025 found that, among respondents unlikely to seek pharmacy care for these conditions, nearly a third (29%) were unaware that pharmacies could provide advice and treatment for them.

Fiona Wylie, Founder and CEO of Brand Champions, said:

"Pharmacies are some of the most trusted organisations on the high street. They have deep relationships with their communities, clinical expertise and an expanding range of services that can make a real difference to people's health. But trust isn't the same as being top of mind. What's particularly interesting about our polling is that the biggest barrier to promoting pharmacies wasn't necessarily money or time – it was not knowing where to start. That's a real opportunity for the sector. Pharmacies don't need enormous marketing budgets or complicated campaigns to make themselves more visible. They need to understand their local communities, identify what matters to the people around them and communicate clearly about how they can help."

 

The poll also offered insight into why pharmacy professionals believe patients remain unaware of their services. Pharmacy professionals attributed low awareness to patients turning to GPs or online searches first (35%), entrenched public habits viewing pharmacies solely as dispensary hubs (32%), and candidly admitting their own communications haven't been clear enough (33%).