Salford researchers help bring ‘Poetry Pharmacy’ to Greater Manchester

The programme, developed in line with the Greater Manchester Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, was delivered through collaboration between NHS Greater Manchester, primary care services, mental health specialists, higher education and academic partners, and other cultural and educational organisations.

The pharmacy is non-clinical by design and an early, preventative intervention, not clinical treatment.

Poems were displayed in visible, everyday spaces such as schools, GP practices, universities and family hubs, with no referral or appointment needed, allowing people to engage privately and at their own pace. There were also QR codes displayed linking to further reflection and evaluation content, enabling engagement without pressure, and an option for a stigma-free follow up.

One aspect of the Poetry Pharmacy’s implementation involved setting up a test pharmacy in the University of Salford’s Allerton building during Welcome Week 2025, where passers-by were encouraged to stop, read the poems on display, or have a poem reading prescribed to them.

Reactions from those involved were moving and impactful, with attendees sharing feedback such as: “It was moving and affected me deeply” and “Amazing, we need more of this”.

Feedback from participants from multiple events showed that 100% of those interviewed agreed that poetry has a place in improving mental health and in public spaces, and 89.5% said that the poem they received made them think about something in their own life.

The Poetry Pharmacy has now launched an app called Ode, which uses AI to prescribe poems to the listener. Researchers involved hope that the case study will help to gather funds for a larger piece of research.