Pharmacies should be providing a wider range of health services because of their excellent reach into communities, researchers say.
A study by Durham University suggests 89% of England's population live within a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy.
In deprived areas, the proportion was nearly 100%.
The researchers said with more support pharmacies could provide everything from blood-pressure checks and diabetes screening to lifestyle advice.
Some pharmacies already do this, but researchers said it very much depended on whether local health bosses were willing to fund them.
Lead author Dr Adam Todd said: "These results show that pharmacies are well-placed in the community to deliver public health services.
"This is particularly important for the poorest areas where more people die from conditions such as smoking, alcohol misuse and obesity compared to people from more affluent areas.
"With easy access without patients needing to make an appointment, the results suggest there is a potential for community pharmacies to deliver public health interventions to areas which need it most."
More on this story here.
Eddie
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