Following the government’s announcement that community pharmacy cuts will be finalised in early July, a petition, organised by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and signed by 1.8 million people, was handed in at 10 Downing Street asking for the plans to be abandoned. It is said to be the most signed petition on any health issue in history – which is a remarkable response.

So the question now is: what steps can the profession take to leverage this passion and strengthen its argument against the cuts? And how can we ensure pharmacies are future-proofed against the financial impact?

While the hope is that the government will listen to public opinion, in the meantime we shouldn’t bury our head in the sand. Now is the time for you to forecast the potential impact of the cuts to your revenue and profit in the long-term, and review your business strategy to ensure it is operating efficiently. This means focusing on the services and support that will drive growth.

Customer-driven strategy

First things first. Pharmacists must be clear about what their customers want and need from them. Having a customer-driven strategy is a basic rule of business, but one that is easy to overlook when the daily pressures of running a pharmacy demand your time. Taking a step back to gather insight and review your strategy can appear low on the list of priorities – nevertheless, it is essential to take some time to do this.

It’s not only customers that should inform this plan, but employees too. They’re ultimately on the frontline, interacting with customers on a daily basis, so they really are best placed to advise you on how to add value to the pharmacy.

With this invaluable insight to hand, the next stage is to analyse the services you currently offer and identify any gaps that need to be plugged, or any opportunities that are not currently being explored. This may involve setting up services like medicines use reviews (MURs) and the new medicine service (NMS), commissioning more services, or extending your retail offering.

Value of staff

Each pharmacy will, of course, be different, and the services that will offer the best return will vary depending on the requirements of the local community. However, regardless of your individual opportunity, having skilled support staff in place to allow for this flexibility is crucial.  

With funding cuts on the horizon, some businesses may be tempted to reduce their investment in support staff, but that would be a false economy and result in only short-term savings. It’s important to think back to your long-term business plan and focus on building a sustainable business.

That said, even with the best intentions, it can be extremely difficult to get enough head space away from day-to-day work to be able to think strategically. Pharmacists don’t need to go it alone though. Whether it’s a second opinion or more practical support, there are places to get advice and resources to help you grow and develop.

Take matters into your own hands

While there is massive opposition out there to the arbitrary cuts, it remains to be seen if the feedback will be taken on board. So, with no confirmed government planning, strategy or impact assessment in place, the obvious smart move is to take the future of the business into your own hands.

By listening to those who use your services every day, and assessing your offering, pharmacists can soften the blow if and when the cuts hit. 

Mandeep Mudhar, is director of marketing at Numark

More on the impact of the cuts:

Read how contractors are preparing for the cuts here

An accountant predicts the average pharmacy will lose £19k over 10 months

5 key points from the PSNC and RPS funding consultation responses

How are you preparing for the cuts?

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