PCT moves to cut community pharmacy services will increase NHS costs, disadvantage patients and put a stronger burden on secondary care, industry leaders and patient representatives have warned.

Experts have said that decommissioning pharmacy services could have "financial and social costs" by pushing patients into "more expensive and probably less effective" care at a later stage.

Numark managing director John D'Arcy warned that commissioners must think about the consequences before making cuts. "The cuts are being made without any real thought to the effect on local communities," he said. "We need to take a long-term view of it – how much are you really going to save by making these cuts?"

Mr D'Arcy added: "If you look at the key services, such as EHC, how many more unwanted pregnancies do you want and how much does that cost in financial and social terms?"

And cutting pharmacy services could deter patients from seeking treatment, the Patients Association warned. "[Pharmacy] minor ailments schemes give patients alternatives to going to their GP for minor problems and we know that… many patients will wait days or even weeks to visit their GP if they are in pain," said Patients Association trustee Roswyn Hakesley-Brown.

Ms Hakesley-Brown called the findings of C+D's decommissioning investigation, which last month found that 25 PCTs had cut or considered cutting pharmacy services over a six-month period, including some minor ailments schemes, "deeply concerning". "Cutting minor ailments schemes leaves patients with fewer choices and may result in patients putting off seeking treatment," she explained.

"When the Department of Health announced that it would be demanding £20 billion in savings from the NHS, patients and the public were promised that this would come from efficiency savings and would not impact on services," she stressed. "This promise rings hollow now."

And the cuts may not achieve any savings for the NHS anyway, warned Pharmacy Voice chief executive Rob Darracott. "There needs to be a focus on value across the system and not just costs within part of it," he said. "Short-term decisions, particularly cutting public health and prevention services, could add costs in the long term."