Pharmacies in England are cutting services and making “impossible decisions to try to keep their doors open” due to mounting costs and dwindling funding, a report has found. Results from a survey by Community Pharmacy England show 96 per cent of owners -more than 2,100 pharmacies – have reported ceasing locally commissioned services over the past 12 months. These discontinued services include the provision of emergency hormonal contraception , enhanced smoking cessation, and some public health support services .
Nearly one third of pharmacies surveyed have also stopped providing national pharmacy services, such as vaccinations , and support to patients and carers to help them manage prescribed medicines for long-term conditions and make decisions about care. One in five pharmacies has put an end to free prescription delivery, while 81 per cent have stopped offering extended opening hours, according to the survey released on Monday. Janet Morrison, Community Pharmacy England chief executive, said the difficult choices pharmacies are having to make was down to a 30 per cent real-terms funding reduction and “spiralling costs”.
Unpredictable revenue streams, followed by issues with their workforce and medicine market instability (such as supply and shortage problems ) were cited as the three most urgent pressures. “Across England patients and local communities are paying the price of our collapsing community pharmacy network..
. These are not decisions that any pharmac.