Avicenna chief: A lot of contractors are refinancing
"A lot" of Avicenna pharmacies have been forced to refinance in the wake of the ongoing funding cuts, CEO Salim Jetha has said.
Members of the independent pharmacy group have been “really hit hard” by the cuts in the last few months, Mr Jetha told C+D at the Pharmacy Show in Birmingham earlier this month (October 8).
Contractors have also been affected by the uncertainty surrounding implementing the EU's Falsified Medicines Directive, medicines shortages and Brexit, he said.
Mr Jetha made the comments to C+D two weeks before the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee announced that England’s pharmacies will not receive any funding increase for 2018-19.
Mr Jetha will be “very interested” to see what C+D’s Salary Survey reveals about stress levels in the sector, he added.
“We really need to get a picture of what's going on,” he said.
Watch Mr Jetha explain the pressures contractors are under:
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