Research commissioned by the self-care health company Perrigo has revealed seven in 10 people in the UK ignore their health conditions and over two-fifths are unaware they can get help from a community pharmacist.

The study of 2,000 people, carried out by OnePoll in July, found 82 per cent are living with a minor health condition such as backpain, headache or hayfever, with some experiencing four conditions at the same time.

Of those, 70 per cent do nothing to alleviate symptoms and refuse to get advice from a healthcare professional while 57 per cent said they suffered in silence while 43 per cent said they had never considered going to a pharmacy.

The research also showed that 59 per cent of people with minor health conditions suffered ‘significant discomfort or pain,’ with two-fifths struggling to sleep, over a quarter developing mental problems and nearly a fifth unable to work.

Fifty-six per cent said self-care is not “one of their strong points” and 54 per cent conceded they were “better at looking at other people’s health than their own.”

“As pharmacists, we can often be overlooked when it comes to the first point of call for our customers and patients,” said Farah Ali, the superintendent pharmacist at Warman-Freed, Perrigo’s learning pharmacy.

“We need to play a better role in showcasing how we can better help our customers with our training in self-care advice and in-pharmacy solutions, so that minor issues and ailments that can be easily remedied and do not affect quality of life in our communities.”