Pharmacies encouraged to reduce hours and services if funding doesn't increase
And we're hearing from a pharmacy in Kent that has told us the industry is at 'breaking point'
Pharmacies across the country are being encouraged to reduce their opening hours and services, if the government doesn't deliver new and sufficient funding.
The National Pharmacy Association is advising its 6000 member pharmacies in England to start the process from April 1st due to the rise in National Insurance, National Living Wage and Business rates.
The NPA say pharmacies have seen around a 40 per cent cut to this funding in real terms since 2017, forcing record numbers to close with 29 having shut since the beginning of the year, with around 1,300 pharmacies shutting since 2017.
Amish Patel owns Hogson's Pharmacy in Longfield, he believes the industry is at breaking point, he said: "We need to be properly remunerated so we can stay a float and provide a proper service to our patients.
"I will just about break even, and quite often make a loss in a month paying for another pharmacist compared to what i get from the services that are being pushed onto us.
"This means i'm now at a crunch point, do I keep offering this service to the local community, keeping waiting lists down for GP surgeries and A&E's but make a loss to the business or do I stop the services all together."
Last month, we reported how pharmacies in Kent have been closed for an extra two thousand hours per week.
Research by the National Pharmacy Association found that nearly 20 sites have closed in the county since 2023 with the average pharmacy now being open for 51 hours per week.
In 2022/23 there 273 sites open for an average of 56.07 hours per week while in 2024/2025 there are now 256 sites open for an average of 51.6 hours per week.
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