Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Pharmacy leaders warn of 'permanent closure' in letter to Secretary of State

The trade bodies and four largest pharmacy chains in England, have jointly written to the Secretary of State for Health, Steve Barclay, warning that the sector needs urgent investment for sustainability.

The letter from AIMp, CCA, NPA, PSNC, Boots UK, Lloyds Pharmacy, Well, and Phoenix UK, warned that the 30 per cent real terms funding cuts that pharmacies have faced over the past seven years have left many businesses in a cashflow crisis.


The letter said that the government is facing a choice over the future of the country’s 11,000+ community pharmacies, with permanent closures likely and medicines supply at risk if no urgent action is taken.

“If the funding situation is not addressed, the sector is likely to move rapidly towards many permanent closures of pharmacies.”

The organisations say that once these closures start, they will be hard to stop, as the sector is now so fragile other pharmacies would struggle to pick up the slack.

On the other hand, if the Secretary of State chooses to invest in community pharmacies, they can do much to deliver cost-effective solutions for patients and the NHS more widely.

Janet Morrison, PSNC Chief Executive, said: “We have set out this picture to officials and to the pharmacy Minister, and we are pleased to have been able to work with so many others across the sector to give this united message to the Secretary of State. Government now faces a choice about community pharmacy’s future: we and the other signatories to this letter will keep working tirelessly together to ensure they make the right one. We believe that what is right for pharmacies is right for patients and right for the wider NHS.”

Dr Leyla Hannbeck, the Chief Executive of AIM, said: “Pharmacies are struggling to pay their bills. They are making losses, who can continue to survive if they are making losses? It is not just hospitals and GPs that are under pressure, it’s our pharmacies as well. We have continuously kept our doors open delivering accessible care supporting the NHS; but we are reaching a breaking point. If the Secretary of State and the NHS decision makers want that accessible care to continue to be there for vulnerable patients then they must act with urgency.”

Malcolm Harrison, the Chief Executive of the CCA said: “The sector has the potential to reduce GP waiting times and hospital re-admissions. But the decision now lies with the Secretary of State, to unlock the true potential of community pharmacies. Not investing in the sector will mean the continued erosion of service, and ultimately the permanent closure of many more community pharmacies, which will add to the already pressurized health system.”

Andrew Lane, NPA Chair, said: “We are showing the Health Secretary that we are united in our determination to take the right route – one that unlocks the full potential of community pharmacy and helps support the NHS more widely.”

More For You

Cargo plane unloading pharmaceuticals at US airport amid tariff concerns and stockpiling

Imports jumped in particular from Ireland, the top drug exporter to the US

Pic credit: iStock

Pharma imports to US surged in March as drugmakers look to avoid tariffs

Pharmaceutical imports to the US surged in March as drugmakers stocked up ahead of potential US tariffs on their products, which have historically been exempt from such fees.

Total imports of pharmaceutical products exceeded $50 billion in the month - the equivalent of 20 per cent of all pharmaceutical imports in 2024, according to data from a U.S. Commerce Department report on Tuesday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scottish community pharmacist working in high street pharmacy with supportive environment

The PDA wants investment to reach those who deliver services to patients every day

Pic credit: iStock

Funding boost in Scotland “needs to work for not just pharmacy owners but pharmacists too”, says PDA

An increase in funding for community pharmacies in Scotland needs to lead to a greater focus on supporting pharmacists rather than “simply sustain business models”, according to the Pharmacy Defence Association (PDA).

Earlier this week, Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) accepted the Scottish government’s initial financial offer for the 2025/26 fiscal year, securing a guaranteed minimum reimbursement of £120 million for community pharmacies — up from £110 million from 2024/25.

Keep ReadingShow less
GP surgery upgrades for annual appointments

The surgeries will have additional space to “see more patients, boost productivity and improve patient care”

Pic credit: iStock

GP surgery upgrades to create 8.3 million more annual appointments

Over 1,000 GP surgeries will have their premises modernised to meet the needs of a further 8.3 million appointments each year, the government has announced.

Backed by a cash injection of over £102 million, the surgeries will have additional space to “see more patients, boost productivity and improve patient care”.

Keep ReadingShow less
Wales boosts funding for pharmacy-led UTI and sore throat test services

The sore throat test (STTT) and treat service will be widely available

Pic credit: istock

Welsh pharmacies receive funding boost for clinical services

Two key clinical services will be available in 99 per cent of community pharmacies across Wales after a boost in funding.

The sore throat test (STTT) and treat service and the urinary tract infection (UTI) service have both benefitted from contractual negotiations between the Welsh Government and Community Pharmacy Wales (CPW).

Keep ReadingShow less
Paul Bennett
Paul Bennett, CEO, Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Paul Bennett, CEO, Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Pharmacists need to take advantage of independent prescribing pathways, says Bennett

Independent prescribing will be a “significant point” in the history of community pharmacy, according to Royal Pharmaceutical Society chief executive Paul Bennett.

Last month, the RPS announced the launch of a comprehensive new prescribing development programme to support pharmacists across all stages of their prescribing careers.

Keep ReadingShow less