Pharmacy leaders to brief MPs on ‘severe challenges’ faced by community pharmacy

Representatives from the national community pharmacy bodies will brief the MPs on the severe challenges facing community pharmacies on Tuesday (21 March) at a roundtable summit.

The roundtable summit will include discussions on the urgent action needed to address the current severe challenges being faced by community pharmacy, as well as the sector’s role in the upcoming Primary Care Recovery Plan, said PSNC.

The Parliamentary event this week has been coordinated by PSNC as part of the joint #SaveOurPharmacies campaign which exceeded 30,000 signatories in a week.

The Association of Independent Pharmacies (AIM), the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA), the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and PSNC will take part at the event.

A spokesperson for the #SaveOurPharmacies campaign group said: “30,000 signatures in a week indicates a high level of underlying public support for community pharmacy and it’s a good start to the #SaveOurPharmacies campaign. A petition by itself won’t change the world, but it works as a kind of drumbeat for the campaign, giving forward momentum, and it’s a really easy way to express your opinion.

We hope the new window poster – along with all the resources available at saveourpharmacies.co.uk – will help as many pharmacies as possible to drum up support from their patients, and we’re really grateful to Communications International Group for helping us to print and distribute this.

Alongside building public support, it’s important that MPs understand both the pressures facing community pharmacies and the potential that the sector has if current pressures are alleviated. During the Parliamentary event this week we hope to get across the disastrous financial situation facing the community pharmacy sector, as well as the effect it is having on the public’s access to pharmacies and the provision of services. The sector urgently needs both immediate and longer-term investment.

We will also talk to MPs about how to reverse the worrying trend of pharmacy closures and look ahead to the imminent Primary Care Recovery Plan. It is critical that we keep talking about the role that community pharmacies should play in the recovery plan and we look forward to outlining what a fully funded Pharmacy First service would look like and what benefits it would deliver for patients, public and the NHS.”

The association are encouraging pharmacies to take part in the campaign this week and to look out for posters being delivered to them.