Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Pharmacies advised to reduce opening hours and services from April 1st

Community Pharmacies advised to reduce opening hours and services

Community Pharmacies advised to reduce opening hours and services

The government has been warned that community pharmacies will take collective action and reduce opening hours and services from April 1st unless there is an imminent clarity on a new funding contract.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) on Tuesday (17) announced that will advise its 6000 member pharmacies in England to take the unprecedented step in the face of what it has described as an April cliff-edge that will see a range of financial burdens placed on the sector.


When asked by Pharmacy Business if this was a tactic to force the government into announcing the pharmacy funding contract, NPA chair, Nick Kaye, said: “That's absolutely why we would do it.

“What we're trying to do is make sure that we get some clarity before the end of the financial year and hopefully that's the contract and done and in place so that people can start adjusting their world to it - hopefully for the better.”

Around 90 per cent of an average pharmacy's work is funded via the NHS, including dispensing medication and vaccinations. But although the end of the current financial year is just days away pharmacies are yet to receive any confirmation of funding for either the 2024/25 or 25/26 financial years that might allow them to avoid service reductions.

There have been rumours that the funding contract has been finalised and is with Community Pharmacy England (CPE) who will decide how the money is allocated.

Kaye confirmed that both the CPE and NHS England have been made aware of plans for collective action by community pharmacies but have not provided a response.

“The only thing that I struggle with, when it comes to the CPE, is the lack of sight of anything,” added Kaye.

“We often think the way in which CPE negotiates is they get a lump sum, they get a quantum that's probably fixed, and then they do a really good job of working out where that's going to be spent - whether that's spent on Pharmacy First or single activity fee.

“But if they know the quantum and the quantum doesn't change, then actually, for some people to have sight of that and to give it some more thinking, would be helpful.”

Kaye has warned that even if the government announces a new contractual framework before April 1st, collective action will still be a possibility if the NPA feels the funding is inadequate for its members.

Pharmacies have seen around a 40 per cent cut to this funding in real terms since 2017, forcing record numbers to close. Around 1,300 pharmacies have shut down since 2017 including 29 since January.

Additional unfunded costs due to hit pharmacies on April 1 include National Insurance, National Living Wage and Business rates, on top of a decade of real terms cuts which may jeopardise patient safety if a resolution is not found.

“It will be around the details of what the deal looks like and then the NPA board will decide what action it needs to take and if that means more collective action then I don't think we're scared of that," he said.

“I don't think I would answer it a yes, no. What I would say is, if that was the will of the board, which is what our membership ask for, then we're not frightened to do that. But hopefully we won’t have to.”

The collective action would involve fewer pharmacies opening in the evenings and at weekends, as well as limiting home deliveries and withdrawing from some locally commissioned schemes like addiction support.

The NPA have stressed that safety is the main priority for every pharmacy so it is for each pharmacy to determine what action they can safely take and give patients and local NHS boards notice of any changes to ensure continuity of care. Pharmacies need to give the NHS five weeks' notice of a change in hours.

This is the first time in the NPA's 104-year history that such a move has been taken.

"Pharmacies have shut in record numbers and those that are left are hanging on by their fingernails waiting for the delivery of a financial settlement that protects services on which millions of people rely,” said Kaye.

“If pharmacies do not get adequate funding, then patients risk losing access to their local pharmacy altogether, threatening their access to vital medicines and health services."

More For You

Pharmacist handing medicine to patient, NHS prescription cost freeze debate

Prescription charge will remain at £9.90

Pic credit: iStock

NPA calls for end to prescription charge after freeze announcement

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has asked for prescription charges to be completely removed despite the government announcing today that the charge will be frozen for the first time in three years.

Patients will continue paying £9.90 to collect their medication from a pharmacy.

Keep ReadingShow less
RPS launches new prescribing development programme for pharmacists

From 2026, every newly qualified pharmacist will be an independent prescriber

gettyimages

RPS unveils new training programme to enhance pharmacists’ prescribing skills

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has announced the launch of a comprehensive new prescribing development programme to support pharmacists across all stages of their prescribing careers.

The initiative comes ahead of the NHS mandate that every newly qualified pharmacist will be an independent prescriber by 2026 — a change set to transform the future of pharmacy practice.

Keep ReadingShow less
Varenicline promotes nicotine vaping cessation in young people

Researchers warn that e-cigarette use can increase risk for nicotine addiction,uptake of combusted tobacco and other substance use.

gettyimages

Anti-smoking pill varenicline may help young people quit vaping, new study suggests

Varenicline — a daily pill already offered through NHS Stop Smoking Services — could also support young people in quitting vaping, new research has suggested.

The medication, proven to be more effective than nicotine replacement gums or patches for smoking cessation, was shown to significantly boost vaping abstinence when combined with behavioural counselling in adolescents and young adults.

Keep ReadingShow less
Relying on blue inhalers alone can worsen asthma symptoms, warns MHRA

Patients are advised to use their preventer inhaler regularly, even if their asthma feels under control.

Pic credit: gettyimages

Overuse of blue inhalers can increase risk of severe asthma attacks, warns MHRA

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is reminding asthma patients to use their preventer (anti-inflammatory) inhalers regularly as prescribed, rather than relying solely on their blue inhalers, also referred to as reliever inhalers.

“Without regular use of a preventer inhaler, symptoms could worsen and increase the risk of severe asthma attacks,” the MHRA warned.

Keep ReadingShow less
13 pharmacists achieve RPS core advanced credential with record pass rate

The latest successful cohort includes pharmacists from both England and Scotland.

Pic credit: Getty Images

13 more pharmacists achieve RPS core advanced credential - Highest pass rate yet

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has announced that 13 more pharmacists have successfully completed Core Advanced Credentialling as part of the latest assessment cohort —achieving a remarkable 93% pass rate, the highest to date.

This brings the total number of pharmacists awarded the RPS core advanced credential to 113 since the launch of the Core Advanced Curriculum in 2023, with successful candidates from GP, secondary care and community settings.

Keep ReadingShow less