Pharmacists warn that tens of thousands of Britons could soon be left without a local pharmacy if the government does not provide emergency funding to the sector, which is at the “point of crisis”.
Thousands of community pharmacies across the country are on the verge of closing as the state increasingly bans them from selling the drugs they dispense to their patients, according to an industry association.
The National Pharmaceutical Association (NPA) has called on the Department of Health and Human Services (DHSC) to provide urgent support to pharmacies that are struggling to keep their doors open given the amounts they spend on drugs and the amounts they receive are often very different. back.
The appeal comes after Health Secretary Steve Barclay suggested that overburdened pharmacies do more to help the NHS get back on its feet by offering additional services.
Community pharmacists purchase medicines by working directly with pharmaceutical wholesalers and paying the price the company charges for the source of the medicine. You will then be reimbursed at a rate set monthly by the NHS on behalf of DHSC. This rate is often significantly lower than the amount actually charged by the wholesaler, forcing pharmacists, who in turn cannot raise their own prices, to operate at a loss.
With hundreds of drugs in short supply, wholesale prices for many of these products have skyrocketed, but tariff prices have not kept pace—a discrepancy that could prove to be a “camel-breaking” and send thousands of drugs out into the world. Growth is driving pharmacists out of business.
“When you are an independent pharmacist with one or two pharmacies, you do your best to stay open, you are integrated into society. You work until you drop and take money out of your pocket to subsidize pharmacies,” said the representative of the NPA.
“They used to be [pharmacists] can absorb loss… Now loss with loss can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
“There must be some emergency funding [for pharmacies] to keep things going.”
Since the pandemic, pharmacists have taken on more responsibilities as people have turned to them not only for prescriptions but also for the health advice they would normally ask their GP. Many pharmacists are now much busier than before but cannot make a decent profit.
NPA Chairman Andrew Lane said: “For years, community pharmacies have been asked to do more and more work for less and less money, and our capacity is no longer up to par with the industry… If we continue on our current course, we will close.” Thousands of pharmacies must be closed.”
In his speech in the House of Commons on Monday, the health minister outlined what the government is doing to help the NHS deal with winter hardships.
Mr Barclay said there are “many more things our pharmacists can support” to ease the burden on GPs.
“Starting in late March, community pharmacies will accept referrals from emergency and emergency facilities, and later this year we will also begin offering oral contraceptive services,” he said.
The DHSC said in a statement: “Community pharmacies play an important role in our healthcare system and we support them with £2.6 billion a year. We have also announced an additional £100m investment in the sector to support support services.
It added: “We are closely monitoring access to pharmaceutical services and … continue to work with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee to ensure that pharmacists are paid fairly as prices rise.”
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.