1 in 6 Pharmacies Facing Closure: Report
According to a research, one in six high-street pharmacies in England may close their doors in less than a year.
It is said that because of medication shortages, patients are already compelled to play 'pharmacy bingo', and things would get worse if more chemists left the workforce.
The report's producer, Community Pharmacy England, stated that extensive financial strains were already endangering patient care based on its survey results.
According to more than half of pharmacies, customers were receiving worse care as a result, having to wait longer or struggle to find some medications at all.
Community Pharmacy England, which is about to negotiate a new contract with the Government, said the current deal was underfunded. It pointed out that NHS funding has fallen by 30 per cent in real terms since 2015.
The organisation, which represents around 10,500 community pharmacies, polled more than 900 pharmacy owners, between them representing more than 6,000 premises.
Two thirds of premises were found to be losing money, while 16 per cent of pharmacies did not expect to survive the year.
In total, 52 per cent of pharmacy staff said patients were being negatively affected by their problems. In these pharmacies, 94 per cent said they were unable to source some medicines, while 86 per cent said it was taking longer to dispense prescriptions.
Delays responding to patients and longer waits at the counter were also common.
Pharmacists say their workload has been dramatically increased amid widespread medicines shortages, meaning much of their time is spent trying to track down drugs.
Global demand, manufacturing issues and delays, and key ingredient shortages have seen stocks of medication to treat ADHD, epilepsy and diabetes all run low in recent months.
The polling found that staff costs and the failure to fully cover the costs of purchasing medicines were the biggest drivers of spending increases.
Janet Morrison, the chief executive of Community Pharmacy England, said: “Community pharmacies are under severe financial strain, with widespread profitability concerns.
“Many are losing money, and several are uncertain about their ability to survive another year. These pressures are negatively affecting patient care, resulting in longer waits for prescriptions, reduced time with patients, and limited access to essential healthcare services.
“This is deeply concerning, especially for the communities that rely heavily on their local pharmacies.
“Pharmacies depend on 90 per cent of their income from the NHS contract, but significant funding cuts over the years and spiralling costs have pushed them to the brink.
“We urgently need increased funding, support, and policy changes to secure the future of community pharmacies and ensure they can continue providing essential services and supporting the NHS. Without this, our local towns and neighbourhoods are at serious risk, and patient health will suffer.”
Patient representatives have also expressed their concerns about the possibility of more pharmacies closing.