The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has welcomed a new parliamentary report, which makes a series of recommendations to support community pharmacies in England.
The All Party Pharmacy Group (APPG) report calls for action to close the £2bn annual funding gap; develop pharmacies as fully integrated local health hubs; and expand Pharmacy First into a national, walk-in clinical service.
It also calls for empowering the pharmacy workforce; action on medicines supply; integrating community pharmacy into NHS systems & leadership; growing community pharmacy role in long-term condition management, and reducing pressure on GPs and hospitals.
The report noted that 1.6 million people visit pharmacies in England daily, but most pharmacies are operating at a loss, facing workforce shortages and medicines supply instability.
The APPG report warns that without urgent reform, patients will lose access to vital services.
NPA chief executive, Henry Gregg, said, “This timely report amounts to a rallying cry for action to save the nation’s community pharmacy network, which has so much to offer patients and the wider healthcare system.
“The APPG is very clear about the importance of closing pharmacies’ funding gap and reforming our broken NHS contract. With this report, MPs are calling for prompt action to get community pharmacy off its knees and into a position whereby we can deliver on the 10 Year Health Plan for England.
“The APPG lays out the stark current reality of financial gloom and workforce pressures. Yet their report is not a counsel of despair – it describes how a properly supported pharmacy network can be an enormous force for good in our communities, now and long into the future.”
The NPA thanked the new chair of APPG, Sadik Al-Hassan, an MP representing North Somerset, and all members of the group who contributed to the creation of the report.
Sadik Al-Hassan, a former pharmacist, said, “Community pharmacies are an essential cornerstone of local healthcare, relied upon by millions each week for convenient, trusted, and professional care. The message from our report is clear: pharmacies stand ready to do more, but urgent action is needed to close the funding gap, support the workforce, and put community pharmacy at the heart of primary care reform with a strong vision for the sector.
“With the right investment and policy support, pharmacies can help address many of the most pressing challenges facing the NHS - improving access, supporting prevention, and enabling people to stay healthy and in work.”
The NPA co-funds the Secretariat of the APPG, alongside Community Pharmacy England, the Company Chemists’ Association, the Independent Pharmacies Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
