Pharmacists and pharmacy teams are unsung healthcare heroes, always there when people need advice, medicine, or reassurance.
But right now, they are stretched to breaking point.
A 2024 Pharmacy Pressures Survey said 71% of pharmacy owners are struggling with staff shortages, and 14% have had to close temporarily due to a lack of resources.
Nine out of ten pharmacists say they are exhausted and overworked and face abuse and aggression from frustrated patients.
The reality is even harsher for self-employed locum pharmacists who rely on shifts rather than permanent employment.
In Scotland, some say making a living is becoming ‘almost impossible.’
Shifts are disappearing, hourly rates are plummeting, and some are even taking second jobs to stay afloat.
But problems do not just exist getting shifts - the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) recovered over £100,000 in unpaid wages last year alone.
Funding
Despite being the backbone of patient care, pharmacists are rarely consulted when big sector-wide decisions are made.
Empty promises and symbolic gestures are no longer enough.
How can we expect an effective funding model if those on the frontline are not included.
Pharmacists need a voice and a seat at the table to properly address the workforce crisis, advocate for better working conditions, and demand fair pay for the work they do every single day.
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Pharmacies have always been more than just places to pick up medicines. In 2024, they administered 54% of vaccinations, surpassing GPs. But instead of being celebrated, they are pushed to the brink of collapse.
The numbers are shocking. In 2023, 436 community pharmacies closed permanently, with another 13,863 temporarily closing .
Countless patients are forced to travel further and wait longer to get their essential medicines.
The hardest-hit areas? The most deprived communities lost almost five times more community pharmacies compared to the least deprived - 58 of those being part of the Government driven initiative to protect pharmacies in the most deprived areas.
Drowning
Despite the worsening situation, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has admitted that it cannot make any predictions of when negotiations will conclude.
Depending on the agreements (or impositions?), implementation work could take months, leaving pharmacies operating on a wing and a prayer whilst drowning in uncertainty and financial instability.
Read more: CPE mulling over ‘initial’ funding offer - as it bumps up LPC levy 2%
This situation only amplifies the anxiety felt by pharmacists, who are left unsure about the future of their roles and the care they can provide to patients amidst such instability.
The issue is wider than just providing adequate and sustained funding – it is about people’s health and access to care.
If the closures continue at this rate, thousands of dedicated professionals may be forced to leave the profession altogether and millions of patients could be left without a local pharmacy.
“Negotiations without workforce representation and behind closed doors are not acceptable”
After the Pharmacy First (PF) scheme was launched in January 2024 , it was thought to provide some much-needed financial relief after nearly a decade of funding cuts.
At the time of launch, the PDA warned that pharmacies did not have enough staff to deliver existing services safely, let alone new ones. A year on, and what have we learned?
Despite data from the NHSBSA indicating £130 million being paid to pharmacy contractors in England delivering PF, it feels like trying to fill a leaking bucket with pharmacy funding.
While the financial injection sounds promising, the reality is that 94% of respondents to a PDA survey have seen no increase in staffing levels, highlighting the disconnect between the funding and the actual resources reaching the frontline.
Government and policymakers need to step up. Pharmacists and their teams cannot continue to take on more responsibilities without appropriate funding mechanisms to support them.
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Negotiations without workforce representation and behind closed doors are not acceptable.
We need a new approach – one shaped by the people who work on the frontline.
Self-employed and employed pharmacists deserve fair pay and working conditions that reflect their vital role and must be included in community pharmacies’ long-term strategy.
The clock is ticking. Without immediate intervention, we will not just lose pharmacies, we could lose the passionate, hardworking professionals who have dedicated their lives to keeping communities healthy.
That is a cost no one can afford.
Jay Badenhorst is director of pharmacy at the Pharmacists’ Defence Association
