Dementia has become one of the most important health and care challenges of our time. There are 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to over one million by 2025 and two million by 2051. Pharmacy professionals can have a positive impact on a person living with dementia, helping to improve their outcomes and support their independence.

What is dementia?

Dementia is the name given to a group of symptoms that may include problems with memory, thinking, problem-solving, language and perception.

Symptoms can also involve a change in mood or behaviour. Dementia is a progressive disease. These symptoms can become severe enough to affect the person’s daily life. Each person diagnosed with dementia will experience the condition differently and the type of dementia they have will impact their care and the support they need. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. The proportions of those with different forms of dementia can be seen in the pie chart.