Independent pharmacies must adapt to industry changes or face extinction, independent support group Alphega has warned.

Speaking exclusively to C+D, Alphega general manager Sue Moore stressed that pharmacists could no longer "just get money for handing over prescriptions". Ms Moore encouraged independents to develop services, engage with local commissioners and strengthen their retail offering to boost profits. "It's adapt or die – there's so much change going on and pharmacists really do need to engage [with that]," she advised.

Ms Moore urged pharmacists to communicate with other healthcare professionals as NHS reforms took shape. "I think with all the legislation going on, one thing is for sure – pharmacists can't operate in isolation," she told C+D. "They're part of a network of healthcare professionals and need to work really hard at a local level to have the same share of voice as everyone else."

Pharmacists should also use retail to drive revenue, Ms Moore added. "Retail can represent anything between five and 15 per cent of revenue so it's not a be-all and end-all, but it's incremental and relatively easy to do once you get the confidence," she said. "You're got an audience that comes into your pharmacy at least once a month to collect scripts – why not try to convert [them] into retail customers?"

The comments followed news that Alphega would be relaunching its support packages to gain "an even stronger presence" in the UK market.