Family-owned pharmacies are facing closures, particularly in low-income regions, leading to the emergence of “pharmacy deserts” across the country. According to analysis by the National Pharmacy Association, over 1,400 community pharmacies have shut down since 2016, with three-quarters of the most affected areas having above-average poverty levels.
Nearly 90% of council areas have witnessed at least one pharmacy permanently closing its doors in the past three years, following funding cuts for pharmacists by the Tory government in 2016. Liverpool has been identified as the city with the highest number of pharmacy closures, trailed by York. Other areas in the top ten for closures include Blackpool, Wakefield, Coventry, and Kingston Upon Hull since October 2022.
West Berkshire is highlighted as the country’s “pharmacy desert,” with the lowest pharmacy-to-population ratio, closely followed by Wokingham. The majority of areas with inadequate community chemist provision are rural.
The Mirror is spearheading a campaign to safeguard family pharmacies and halt the closure trend, which is adding strain on already burdened general practitioners. The National Pharmacy Association warns that by 2025, the pharmacy network will be at its weakest point in two decades, with one in ten pharmacies shutting down in the last ten years.
Henry Gregg, the National Pharmacy Association’s chief executive, expressed concern over the declining access to essential medication and patient care. He emphasized the detrimental impact of widespread pharmacy closures on underprivileged communities with significant health needs in recent years.
The Labour party initiated the first substantial funding increase for the pharmacy sector since 2014, injecting £617 million over two years towards expanding the Pharmacy First scheme. This scheme allows individuals with seven common conditions, including sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women, to consult pharmacists directly.
Mr. Gregg urged the government to view the April initiative as just the beginning of necessary reforms to support the pharmacy sector. The Pharmacy First scheme successfully catered to five million patients in England in its inaugural year, diverting them from GP appointments.
NHS England leaders are encouraging more patients to utilize this initiative, which enables pharmacists to address seven common ailments initially. Sore throats emerged as the most frequently treated condition through sit-down consultations with pharmacists, with 836,000 patients benefiting from this service in the scheme’s first year.
Approximately 2.4 million patients accessed consultations with pharmacists without prior booking, indicating the scheme’s convenience and popularity. Dr. Wendy Taylor, health chair at the Local Government Association, voiced concerns over the deepening challenge of healthcare access, particularly in deprived communities where pharmacies serve as crucial touchpoints with the NHS.