Pharmacy Pressures Survey extended until 8 April

Community pharmacy owners and teams across Englandare encouraged to participate in the survey and voice their concerns.

Community Pharmacy England (CPE)’s 2024 Pharmacy Pressures Survey will be open until 12 noon on Monday, 8 April. Earlier, it was scheduled to close on Tuesday, 2 April.

The Committee expressed concern that community pharmacies in England are now in a critical situation, significantly affecting workload, stress levels, patients, and businesses.

Its third annual Pressures Survey is aimed at finding out more about these issues and other areas such as medicines supply problems and workforce challenges as well as the recently launched Pharmacy First service, it said.

CPE chief executive Janet Morrison said that they were able to receive a huge number of responses in previous surveys and they are expecting to achieve a similar level of engagement this year too.

“Your input is invaluable and we will keep using it as evidence to highlight the severe challenges that community pharmacies face and to make the case for government and NHS action,” she said.

Morrison acknowledged that while the entire healthcare system and public services are under a lot of pressure, the strain is particularly evident in community pharmacies, which continue to provide a “safety net” as access to wider primary care falters.

“That safety net must be protected – with sustainable core funding and wider support – and your views will help us to keep making that clear to all those who influence public policy,” she added.

This year's survey is expected to provide important information and data for use during negotiations with the government and the NHS, as well as in the CPE’s wider conversations with MPs, Ministers, and in national media work.

There are two separate surveys for pharmacy business owners/head office representatives and pharmacy teams.