Pain management: Haleon’s pilot programme enhances pharmacist-patient consultations

Haleon’s Community Pharmacy Pain Consultations Programme, piloted in Australia, has shown promising potential for enhancing pharmacies’ roles in pain management.

Running from January to May 2023, the programme was designed and tested by the Haleon Centre for Human Sciences, recognising the pressing need to optimise pain
consultations between patients and pharmacists.

The used a series of simple interventions, rooted in behavioural science, aimed at improving patient experiences in pharmacies. These include window posters and
floor graphics to disrupt habitual behaviours and reframe patients’ perceptions of the pharmacist’s role.

Results measured by Professor Colin Strong, head of behavioral science at IPSOS, indicated a significant increase in patient preparedness for discussing pain.

Specifically, 92 per cent of patients reported feeling more prepared for these conversations after the interventions, up from 71per cent before.