High street pharmacies are facing a crisis in England, with a total of 436 community pharmacies permanently closing last year and almost 14,000 temporary closures, leaving patients without access to essential health advice and medication. The closures are hitting rural areas, places with more older people, and deprived communities the hardest, creating what Healthwatch England has dubbed “pharmacy deserts”.
The closures are largely due to staff shortages, including a lack of locum pharmacists, which is hindering the government’s Pharmacy First initiative aimed at relieving pressure on GPs by allowing pharmacists to treat minor ailments. This trend of closures is not only impacting patient care but is also adding pressure on an already strained NHS system.
According to responses from NHS integrated care boards, areas such as Cheshire and Merseyside and the North East and North Cumbria have seen the highest number of permanent and temporary closures, leading to concerns about unequal access to essential pharmacy services.
The Department of Health and Social Care has acknowledged the funding crisis in the pharmacy sector that has been neglected for years and plans to review funding to ensure the sustainability of community pharmacies. The government emphasizes the importance of pharmacies in shifting healthcare focus from hospitals to the community and plans to increase the number of pharmacists able to prescribe medication independently.
The closure of community pharmacies not only threatens patient care but also poses challenges to the overall healthcare system, underscoring the need for urgent action to address the funding and staffing issues in the pharmacy sector.
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