Content Guidelines

At Pharmica, we believe it is absolutely essential for people to have access to relevant and accurate information about medical conditions and treatments so they can make informed decisions about their health.

Authoritative, reliable advice can be both difficult to find and understand. That’s why we ensure that all our content adheres to a robust series of editorial checks to make sure it is accessible and reliable.

We also understand that we have a duty of care as a UK-registered pharmacy, which is why we go above and beyond to be as diligent as possible when producing content.

Every piece of content we publish and disseminate adheres to the following four aspects of our content standards:

We always prioritise the use of trusted sources to obtain the latest and most accurate information about health conditions and treatments.

We use the latest information and advice issued by the NHS as well as patient information leaflets (PILs) published by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

We also source information from studies published in prominent medical journals and other credible sources to substantiate claims made in our content. In order to make our content as relevant as possible to patients and stakeholders, we source information that was written and intended for British audiences whenever possible.

All articles on our Health Centre Blog contain numbered footnotes that correspond with a list of trusted sources provided at the end of the article. Moreover, infographics published on our social channels or in our Health Centre Blog articles feature a Harvard-style reference outlining the source of the data displayed.

Facts used in our content are cross-checked against multiple sources for accuracy whenever possible. For example, the findings of one study may be compared to other similar studies for added substantiation.

There are limited circumstances when we may not be able to cross-check facts. For example, it may be impractical to cross-check facts cited from a study on a topic that has yet to be researched thoroughly because there are few studies to cross-check it with.

In these circumstances, we do all possible to make it clear that the fact and/or field of study we have referenced is still undergoing research.

We always strive to cite studies with adequate sample sizes to ensure reliability. We also prioritise research conducted on respondents whose profiles match those of our customers to ensure the content is as relevant as possible.

Where possible, we cite peer-reviewed articles as this means the content has been evaluated by one or more people whose competence and expertise are similar to (if not more than) that of the original publisher.

At Pharmica, we review every piece of feedback on every platform to improve the quality of our content. We understand how crucial it is to create content that addresses patient needs and makes a meaningful difference to their health and wellness.

This is why we analyse trends on social platforms and search engines to identify what kind of questions patients are seeking answers to regarding treatments and health conditions. All content published by Pharmica is subsequently tailored to answer these questions as accurately as possible. Moreover, any and all content feedback is collectively discussed by our teams to ensure we produce content that matters most to our patients and stakeholders.

Since our inception in 2015, we have had the pleasure of caring for more than a million patients from numerous backgrounds. We are mindful of the fact that certain writing styles, words, and sentence structures can be difficult for some people to understand.

Therefore, we use language and a writing style/tone that makes our content accessible to people from diverse backgrounds. This helps us to deliver value to as many patients as possible.

Although we do everything we can to keep our content accessible, we acknowledge that some information cannot be simplified without affecting its integrity. For instance, technical terms such as the name of an active ingredient inside a treatment must be kept in its original format to ensure accuracy.

With that said, our content team always does its best to explain technical terms as simply and clearly as possible.

All content published by Pharmica is authored by pharmacists, pharmacy managers, and/or medical writers using evidence-based studies that adhere to the research process outlined earlier.

Once a piece of content has been written with full adherence to our content guidelines, it is medically reviewed by one of our registered pharmacists and our Superintendent Pharmacist Carolina Goncalves.

Upon completion of the medical review, the pharmacists, pharmacy managers, and medical writers who authored the content re-check it for relevance and accuracy. At this stage, any comments left by our registered pharmacists and/or Carolina are discussed and addressed collectively by the team.

Once these checks are complete, the content is reviewed one final time by the pharmacy team before being published.

At Pharmica, we believe it is vital to review and update the medical content we publish from time to time. As such, we have a procedure in place to review our content periodically and welcome feedback on our content from all stakeholders.

Pharmica’s content is periodically refreshed to reflect the latest and most accurate information wherever possible. This approach has helped us to empower countless patients in their quest to take charge of their health journeys.

We acknowledge that content published by credible sources like the NHS, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and the National Institute for Healthcare and Excellence (NICE) may be updated or reviewed by these bodies from time to time. We do our best to reflect these changes in our content when reviewing it and referencing these sources.

Our patients are an invaluable source of feedback on our content. We read and review every comment and message sent to us by our patients when conducting periodical content reviews to ensure the content is relevant and accurate.

We also welcome feedback from all stakeholders, including medical professionals, other pharmacies, and even readers to maximise the quality of our content. If you encounter information that you believe can be improved, please contact us at help@pharmica.co.uk.

The information provided by Pharmica undergoes stringent checks for quality, accuracy, and relevance. However, it is not intended to replace or act as a more suitable alternative to information provided by doctors and general practitioners. We would recommend that you avoid disregarding medical advice provided by your GP under any circumstances.

We urge all patients to follow our lead and cross-check any medical information they encounter with credible sources before acting on it. We look forward to assisting you as best as we can and feel privileged to be a part of your health journey.