Community pharmacy in 'disarray', claims owner of local chain
It comes as the 'Pharmacy First' scheme is rolled out across England
Last updated 8th Apr 2024
A man who owns a chain of community pharmacies across the South West has been telling us the system is a 'joke'.
Max Punni's comments come as statistics from the Company Chemists' Association revealed a 'worrying trend' of closures across the country of community pharmacies - leading to increased pressure on services that remain open, as patients look elsewhere for help.
The CCA revealed there are now more than 1,000 fewer pharmacies across England than there were back in 2015, whilst the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies said more than 400 community pharmacies across England closed between 2019 and 2023.
It (the AIMP) warned of a "tsunami of further pharmacy closures across the country" due to pressures in the system.
The association also called on the Government to "properly fund" its flagship Pharmacy First initiative - where patients with seven common conditions are encouraged to seek help from a pharmacist instead of their GP.
Despite these closures, it is claimed that Government's 'Pharmacy First' targets are 'on track' to be met - despite what Max Punni told us, that 'primary healthcare services are in disarray'.
This scheme was announced back in May 2023, when NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care announced a plan to recover access for primary care services - meaning people with certain prescriptions can get their medications from a pharmacy - without having to go to the doctor's first.
You can find out more about Pharmacy First, which launched at the end of January this year, on the NHS England website.
According to data reviewed by the CCA, it's claimed there was 'strong patient interest' with the Pharmacy First scheme within its first month.
They found:
- There have been nearly 50,000 consultations with pharmacists (delivered by members of the Company Chemists Association)
- Of that number, the data shows these consultations are benefiting regions with higher levels of depravation - with two and a half times more consultations taking place in these areas
- Nearly one in three consultations took place outside of 9am and 6pm - the times that a GP surgery would usually be open
Amongst the seven conditions, sore throat has seen the highest proportion of consultations (31%), closely followed by uncomplicated urinary tract infections (27%), earache (16%) and sinusitis (14%).
Malcolm Harrison, Chief Executive of the CCA said: “Pharmacy First has been a long time coming and now it is here, the early signs show it is already delivering for patients and the NHS.
"Our members delivered nearly 50,000 NHS Pharmacy First consultations in the first month, which is an incredible achievement when you consider the tremendous workload and funding pressures they are all currently under.
"Patients are accessing the service across the entire week, including outside of typical work hours and at weekends. The level and nature of uptake demonstrates the need for this service. Nearly a third of all Pharmacy First consultations delivered by our members have been in the 20% of communities with the highest levels of deprivation. This proves our long-held belief that NHS services commissioned nationally through the pharmacy network immediately benefit those who need access to care the most."
Despite what the statistics might say, here in the South West, one community pharmacist says the rollout of schemes like Pharmacy First - as well as the closure of high-street pharmacies is only increasing pressure in the system.
'It's an absolute joke'
Max Punni runs a chain of independent pharmacies in our region, and told us the current system is creaking at the seams - despite pharmacies being paid £15 for each Pharmacy First consultation.
He said: "It's an absolute joke. You've got to be in three places in once.
"Are you going to be doing blood pressure checks and minor ailments, and all of these new conditions that are being rolled out - or are you going to be checking through the prescriptions that are piling up behind you?
"The way we cope is that we come in on the evenings, weekends, after hours... all to make sure the backlog is in some kind of order.
"Primary healthcare services are in disarray - and people will have noticed - unless you're so rich you can go private all the time.
"If you are an NHS patients, you definitely would have seen a decimation of frontline services, a lack of access to GPs, and big problems getting prescriptions filled punctually and reliably.
"There isn't a single overhead that hasn't increased in the last five years and that was the date when the last parameters were set in the last pharmacy contract - and this is hitting businesses.
"A lot of businesses are taking out loans, overdrafts, personal debt - just to keep the lights on - and they're cutting their hours, reducing their staff, reducing their staff all to keep their core activities on the road.
"There was a large campaign called 'Save Our Pharmacies' - but there was no effect whatsoever, and patients didn't come forward and make their opinions known.
"This isn't the beginning of the end, but it's not the end of the end for all of us. Sadly, for some, it really is though."
Across England, the Government tell us access to pharmacies remains 'good' - with 8 in 10 people living within a 20 minute walk of one.
We also know there are twice as many pharmacies in the most deprived areas.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told us: “We have made up to £645 million of new funding available to support the expansion of community pharmacy services. This is on top of the £2.6 billion pharmacies already receive per year.
“Pharmacy First, alongside the expanded blood pressure check and contraception services, will free up an anticipated 10 million GP appointments a year, once fully scaled. It has been widely welcomed by the pharmacy sector and so far, 98% of pharmacies have signed up.”
Under the Pharmacy First scheme, when the minimum number of consultations has been achieved in a month, pharmacies will receive a £1,000 for that month.
The minimum number for February was 1, for March it is 5 and it will increase to 30 from October.
More information on the Pharmacy First announcement is available here.