Pharmacy numbers to drop below 10,000 for the first time in 20 years
The NPA has said the number of pharmacies in England could fall below 10,000 for the first time since 2005 by the end of the month, and has urged the new government to urgently reverse cuts to community pharmacy.
The NPA has said if pharmacy closures continue at the same rate, by the end of September the number of pharmacies in England will fall below 10,000 for the first time since 2005, when numbers stood at 9,872.
Funding pressures, the rising cost of medicine, supply chain issues and increasing workload have all heaped the pressure on pharmacy.
The NPA says 63% of operators have reduced opening hours by around an hour a day since 2015 to cope.
Read more: #SaveOurPharmacies: NPA announces second protest on September 19
NPA chief executive Paul Rees called on the new government to "halt the closures and invest" to prevent "the ongoing collapse of community pharmacy."
A #saveourpharmacies petition now has 302,466 signatures. Many of them are from patients and customers who have developed a greater understanding of the pressures facing pharmacy after conversations began as a result of the NPA's protest day paraphernalia dotted around the shops.
In July the NPA revealed plans for a second day of protest after its protest day in June saw around 6,000 pharmacies turn out their lights, black out their windows and wear black to raise awareness about the crisis in the sector.
Read more: ‘Save Our Pharmacies’ protest: as it happened
A #saveourpharmacies petition now has 302,466 signatures.
The NPA said the protest day attracted support from across the independent sector, though the PDA warned that pharmacists should not come under pressure to participate.
