Rural areas could become pharmacy deserts if current closure rates continue, warns the National Pharmacy Association.

The body, which is planning a national day of action on September 19, is asking for local communities to support their call to #SaveOurPharmacies. 

It says local pharmacies are closing at an alarming rate of 10 a week across England, Wales and Northern Ireland with many pharmacies reducing opening hours and cutting staff in order to survive.

The move by the association is backed by Community Pharmacy England who represent the pharmacy owners.

Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England, said: “Community pharmacies are the front door to the NHS, providing critical health services and relieving pressure on GPs and other primary care services. However, the financial and operational pressures are becoming unbearable.

“Since 2015, pharmacy funding has been cut by 30%. We also know that there have been over 1,000 pharmacy closures since 2016, with local communities across England losing vital services. This is a number that is simply too many.

“Pharmacy owners don’t want to close their businesses, but without sustainable funding, many have no choice.

“This analysis is yet another clear warning sign to the Government and the NHS that things cannot continue like this: they need to prevent further closures by investing in community pharmacies and offering a sustainable funding model.  

“Without this, patients, especially the most vulnerable, will find it increasingly difficult to access essential medications and healthcare services.”

The National Pharmacy Association says that pharmacies now routinely dispense NHS medicines at an overall loss – paying out of their own pockets to provide a core healthcare service. 

Their #SaveOurPharmacies campaign is being fully supported by Saltash pharmacist Jay Anwar who runs two pharmacies in the town. 

Both pharmacies took part in a first ‘soft’ day of action before the General Election on June 20. It represented the end of the 5-year funding deal with the government, and the last day of any allocation of funding for community pharmacies.

Pharmacist Jay, who started his first business in the town in 2010, said: “Since 2018 there have been progressive funding cuts. 

“Technically now there is no funding agreement in place between the pharmacy body and the government. We’ve got a situation that isn’t surmountable.

Because of funding cuts, he says, all late-night chemists are closed. Finding a pharmacy open on a Sunday is a struggle, and he said: “We used to open 7 days a week but we can’t afford to do that anymore.

“We have reduced the hours we are open at Tamar Pharmacy. We used to be open until 6.30pm but have reduced that to 6pm. There’s no incentive to stay open to be honest.”

This comes at a time when the NHS is advising anyone using NHS services to Think Pharmacy First in a new campaign, as we head into autumn and winter which are times which see increased demand. Jay adds: “The NHS is sending people our way as a first port of call but we don’t get paid for our time doing that. 

“All our wages are rising and there’s no funding. We need to do more with less money. People’s jobs are on the line too with six staff at Saltash pharmacy and five at Tamar Pharmacy.

“The cost of drugs is also so high and the pharmacies are not getting reimbursed properly. It’s very difficult. Ultimately, it’s the patients that suffer.”

South East Cornwall MP Anna Gelderd said: "I know from speaking to many residents how vital community pharmacy services are to people here. I've had the opportunity to speak with a number of those working in our local pharmacies to better understand the pressures they face. 

“While our constituency has not been as severely impacted by pharmacy cuts as other parts of Cornwall, I am acutely aware of the effects that closures in St Blazey as well as in Bodmin have had on those living near the edge of the South East Cornwall constituency.

“Recent changes, such as the consolidation of services in Saltash and new ownership of the Callington and Torpoint pharmacies, have highlighted the evolving landscape of our local healthcare. 

“I’m grateful to Stephen Kinnock MP, the new pharmacies minister, for meeting with Community Pharmacy England last week. I fully support making the provision of pharmacy services in our smaller towns and rural areas a priority and want to see successful ongoing negotiations on the new community pharmacy contract which gets the detail right.

“Over the coming months, I will meet with more community pharmacies and welcome any thoughts from pharmacists and those who rely on their services about how we can further improve.”

The National Pharmacy Association’s campaign is asking the government to provide essential health services, fund them properly and help them survive.