LloydsPharmacy will close hundreds of outlets at Sainsbury’s supermarkets, a decision that highlights the “bleak” situation faced by community pharmacies across the country.
The pharmacy chain is withdrawing “from all Sainsbury stores during 2023” – a move that will affect 237 branches and countless patients.
Lloyds, which operates approximately 1,400 pharmacies in the UK, has decided to close 16% of its branches following a “strategic review of its business in response to changing market conditions”.
Kevin Burch, the retailer’s CEO, said: “This decision was not an easy one for us.”
Announcement coming later I Industry leaders are reported to fear that tens of thousands of Britons will soon be left without a local pharmacy unless the government provides emergency funding to the sector at “crisis point”.
The skyrocketing drug prices in recent months have forced thousands of pharmacies to pay significantly more for a number of essential drugs than they are reimbursed by the state.
Nigel Swift, deputy general manager of Phoenix, owner of Numark and Rowlands pharmacies, said Lloyds’ decision was “the clearest sign of the plight that community pharmacies in England are facing due to insufficient public funding”.
Mr Swift said: “This should be a wake up call for the government. At a time when the National Health Service is in crisis, the network of community pharmacies is needed more than ever. These closures will further strain already overburdened pharmacies in the region and limit patients’ access to essential health services, especially in underserved communities.”
Health Minister Steve Barclay has said he intends to implement a ‘pharmacy first’ approach to healthcare in England to reduce the burden on general practitioners and emergency departments.
“This cannot be delivered through a network that is underfunded and in decline,” Swift warned.
Janet Morrison, executive director of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, said: “Funding for community pharmacies has fallen by 30 percent over the past seven years and they are under more pressure than ever.
“This significant downsizing of the second largest chain of pharmacies is extremely worrying and one of the clearest signs of how much all community pharmacies are trying to make ends meet. We know that many of them are on the verge of failure.”
She added: “We believe that without additional investment, more permanent closures are likely, and this will only increase the risk of serious problems for patients with access to services and medicines: the government should not allow this. I urge ministers to meet with me for meaningful talks to avoid such a catastrophe.”
The Department of Health and Welfare said: “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.”
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.