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Pharmacists are among the most influential healthcare professionals when it comes to shaping UK adults’ everyday health decisions, a new Europe-wide report from a medicines manufacturer has found.

The annual Stada Health Report found that 63 per cent of UK respondents say they are influenced by their local pharmacist when it comes to decisions around diet, exercise and lifestyle. This was higher than the European average of 57 per cent and almost double the proportion in the UK who said the same in 2025 (33.5 per cent).

GPs were the most trusted source of information in the UK, with 74 per cent reporting confidence in their GP and 56 per cent saying their family doctor has prompted them to have a preventative check-up, the highest proportion in any surveyed country. 

While trust in UK pharmacists as a source of information held steady at 68 per cent, the UK population remained the most resistant of all surveyed countries to AI health consultations, with 46 per cent having had one versus a European average of 55 per cent.

Sixty-five per cent of UK respondents rated the NHS positively, the seventh highest of the countries surveyed by Stada. However, people in the 45-54 age group were far less satisfied (56 per cent) than those aged 25-34 (78 per cent). 

Stada, which owns UK manufacturer Thornton & Ross, surveyed 20,000 adults from 20 countries, including 2,000 in the UK. 

Stada UK general manager Craig Shaw commented: “The data from the Stada Health Report 2026 underlines what pharmacists across the UK have known for some time: patients are increasingly looking to their local pharmacy, not just for medicines but for trusted advice that helps them make everyday health decisions.

“It’s particularly striking that the influence of pharmacists on areas such as diet, exercise and lifestyle has almost doubled in just a year, rising above the UK average.

“What stands out is that trust in pharmacists remains consistently high. People have always valued the expertise and the critical role pharmacy teams play in the local community, but now they’re acting out that trust more than ever.”

Mr Shaw said that the findings on AI hesitancy “reinforce the value of face-to-face conversations” as well as “the unique position pharmacies occupy”.