Chronic Underfunding Leads to Eight Pharmacy Closures a Week in England

Healthcare News

Pharmacies in England are “really struggling” with “chronic underfunding” leading to eight closures a week, an average of over one a day, LBC can reveal. Working alongside The Company Chemists' Association (CCA) LBC has learned that since 2015 there has been a net loss of 1,055 pharmacies, which has exacerbated in recent months. This financial year has seen a loss of over 300 pharmacies, which is more than the past two financial years combined. Malcolm Harrison, the CEO of the CCA, has told LBC that “there is chronic underfunding of community pharmacies” citing the fact that “the money made available to pharmacies for supplying NHS medicines and services to the public has not changed since 2016, when it was cut by over £200 million”. Coupled with the sector having to deal with both the Covid pandemic and the cost-of-living-crisis, Mr Harrison says “pharmacy businesses are really struggling and unfortunately we are hearing more and more are ‘going to the wall’, either closing or choosing to exit the market”