Introduction Hospital pharmacists' have traditionally focused on the manufacture and supply of medicines. However, the increasing complexity and range of medicines and a greater awareness of medication errors has facilitated a change towards a patient‐centred role. Given this movement, it is surprising that a search of the published literature shows very little research that evaluated patients' views of hospital‐based pharmacy services. Objective To explore inpatients' expectations and experiences of hospital‐based pharmacy services. Study setting and design Face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews with inpatients admitted to acute medical wards of three NHS general hospitals. Principal findings Seventy‐four inpatients were interviewed: 37 were male with average age 73 years (age range of 19 –86 years). The predominate number of participants (62/74, 84%) being in the 65–80 years of age group. Thematic analysis of the data was driven by three themes; patients' expectations of the pharmacist's involvement in their treatment and care, the patients' experiences of any interaction that may have taken place and the patients' evaluation of their interaction with the pharmacist. Conclusions There was a dichotomy of expectations and opinions from patients about the role of hospital pharmacists and the services being provided. As pharmacists' roles are developing towards a patient‐orientated model in which pharmacists have direct contact with patients and their care, it is important to ensure that patients are aware of these developments to help them maximize the benefit they derive from their country's health‐care system.