The vote was the result of the NPA’s two ‘Day(s) of Action’ on 20 June and 19 September 2024 which aimed to raise awareness of the community pharmacy funding crisis. The NPA also represents many pharmacy owners in Scotland but did not include them in this process.
The PDA represents employed and locum pharmacists across the UK and recognises that short staffing and workloads have contributed to a severe workforce crisis. This is a significant reason why so many pharmacists are reporting mounting workplace pressure and ultimately, a reason for them to leave the sector. The level of government funding for community pharmacy is a factor in this situation and the PDA believes that shortfalls in funding must be resolved.
The results of the votes cast by NPA members highlight a significant development which links the underinvestment in community pharmacy to concerns, that PDA members have been raising. This increasingly has far-reaching implications for patient safety. PDA members and pharmacy staff are extremely concerned about the current state of the sector and are seeking a more favourable outcome to ensure that funding is secured to support a thriving community pharmacy network.
Patient safety is at the heart of the PDA’s mission, and it is clear that current funding models undermine the ability of many community pharmacies to operate sustainably. Those businesses are now considering reduced opening hours, the potential discontinuation of free home deliveries, and the withdrawal from key local services. Such changes will threaten to limit patients’ access to essential medicines and support, particularly for vulnerable populations. The reduction or end of these services poses a significant risk to the continuity of care, putting additional strain on an already stretched NHS. This comes just as every government is asking the community pharmacy sector to take more of a role in primary care.
The PDA urges each national government to take immediate action to prevent further erosion of pharmacy services. Under normal circumstances, pharmacists will have many options to serve patients and meet their pharmaceutical care needs. However, when faced with inadequate resources, pharmacists have less options and often risk their own wellbeing when trying to maintain standards of care. The current situation has resulted in PDA members experiencing unnecessary stress, anxiety, and burnout as they increase their efforts to maintain patient safety whilst resources are diminishing.
Community pharmacies play a critical role in ensuring timely access to medicines, health advice, and clinical support. Inadequate funding, alongside rising operational costs, threatens the viability of pharmacies, the subsequent working conditions for members and by extension, the safety and well-being of patients who rely on them. The PDA supports calls for an urgent review and uplift of funding to protect the future of community pharmacy services and uphold patient safety as a priority. The current situation is having a detrimental impact on patients and the jobs members do, daily.
The situation requires prompt and meaningful intervention from the government to safeguard these vital healthcare services. To fully deliver all that governments require from community pharmacy, funding needs to support increases in resources, not cuts. The PDA advocates for more than one pharmacist per pharmacy to enable all possible services to be delivered safely and effectively.
The PDA will continue to advocate for conditions that ensure patient care remains safe, comprehensive, and accessible to all. The PDA’s Safer Pharmacies Charter has been central to this approach for many years, and the PDA will continue to lobby on behalf of its members using the principals at the core of this policy.
Learn more
- PDA responds to NPA proposals for a “Day of action”
- PDA update on the NPA’s ‘Day of Action’ campaign
- PDA update on the NPA’s second ‘Day of Action’ campaign
- PDA’s Safer Pharmacies Charter
- NPA gives DH ‘time to digest’ results of 99% ‘Yes’ collective action ballot
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