There was a debate on Reddit recently based on a question we as doctors have all asked: “Is patient privacy not a thing in pharmacies?”

As the Pharmacy Guild of Australia continues its quest for pharmacists to provide the medical care traditionally reserved for general practice, this issue about whether a retail environment is the right place for it to occur is growing increasingly important. 

Recently, I was standing in a queue at a community pharmacy when I witnessed for myself what can happen.

A young man was asking for advice at the desk, with a helpful pharmacist firing questions at him about his groin rash.