NPA to hold a day of protest to highlight ‘emergency in community pharmacy’

The protest action is part of the organisation's #saveourpharmacies campaign

There is a state of “emergency” across the community pharmacy sector, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has warned.

The organisation is holding a day of protest action, called ‘One Day to #SaveOurPharmacies’,  on 20 June to draw attention to the sector’s growing crisis.

During the protest, pharmacy teams across the UK are expected to take a range of symbolic actions – such as turning the lights out for a period, asking their staff to wear black, blacking out windows, using the day to engage with patients, inviting parliamentary candidates and using #saveourpharmacies on social media – signifying dark times for the beleaguered community pharmacy sector, the NPA said.

The organisation decided to choose 20 June for the protest as it marks the day from which the average pharmacy across the four nations will be “lossmaking overall.”

“There is typically only enough NHS funding to cover costs for the first three weeks of any month – after which the pharmacy service is effectively subsidised by the business,” it said.

NPA chief executive Paul Rees said that the sector is in “very real distress” as funding for community pharmacy has been squeezed over the last decade.

“More than 1,400 pharmacies have closed in England during the last 10 years – there have been closures in Wales and Northern Ireland and there is a growing risk of closures in Scotland as well,” he noted.

According to him, the funding shortfall is partly responsible for the current medicines shortages crisis.

“Pharmacy teams are finding it is increasingly difficult to deliver excellent patient care – and pharmacy teams themselves are suffering from increased stress and demoralisation.

“With the general election in full swing, it is vital that the politicians get the message: that there is now an emergency in our community pharmacy sector,” he added.

The NPA is also organising a One Day to #SaveOurPharmacies webinar this Wednesday evening (5 June) at 7.30pm to inform its members about how to get involved in the protest.

The protest action is part of a renewed push for the #saveourpharmacies campaign, which has seen pharmacies put up new posters, share stickers with patients and collect signatures.

The NPA highlighted that 10 pharmacies are closed in a week in England, and there’s a growing risk of pharmacy closures in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well.