The National Pharmacy Association says early 1,400 pharmacies having shut their doors in England over the last decade
Pharmacies all over Britain are taking part in an “unprecedented” day of action this Thursday to highlight funding pressures.
Described as a historical moment by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), pharmacies are turning off their lights and staging demonstrations. According to new research by the NPA, two in three chemists across England have slashed their service hours since 2015, blaming financial constraints.
The NPA says early 1,400 pharmacies having shut their doors in England over the last decade, with an average of ten pharmacies now closing each week, the association disclosed. It’s a similar picture in Wales and Northern Ireland with pharmacy closures, while Scottish pharmacists are trimming their operational hours, some teetering on the brink of shutting down.
The NPA said that with major parties promising to expand pharmacy services in England, there were questions about how they will reverse “deep cuts” it complained meant that the NHS often does not even cover pharmacies’ costs when they supply medicines.
NPA’s chief executive, Paul Rees, said: “It is great to see pharmacies taking part in this day of action in all corners of the UK today. This is a massive step and the first day of its kind, with pharmacies turning out their lights, blacking out their windows and highlighting the huge pressures they are under. Funding for community pharmacy has been squeezed over the last decade and as a result it is now a sector in very real distress.”
