Chronic underfunding in the Northern Ireland community pharmacy sector raised directly with UK Government

A delegation has travelled to London to seek UK Government NIO Minister Fleur Anderson MP’s support for vital community pharmacy services that are in financial crisis and at risk of collapse in Northern Ireland.

Representatives from Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI), including local pharmacy owners were led by Ulster Unionist peer Lord Rogan as they met the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to seek stabilisation of the community pharmacy network.

The Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI), Gerard Greene said:
“Community pharmacies are under mounting financial pressures. Due to long-term underfunding and increasing costs, the community pharmacy financial model is stretched to breaking point. Pharmacy owners in Northern Ireland are battling to keep the doors open so they can continue delivering vital, local healthcare services. With many pharmacy owners personally propping up the national health service it is utterly unsustainable and unjust.

“We’ve made the trip to London to take community pharmacies’ desperate plea to the government’s Northern Ireland Minister who listened to the concerns raised. During the meeting, we also raised the budget implications relating to the UK-wide National Insurance Contribution increase, which will add further financial pressure to already stretched pharmacies.“

Community pharmacists are increasingly playing a greater role in health transformation with the delivery of an expanded range of clinical services. At a time when this clinical expertise and accessibility is widely recognised as a key asset in alleviating pressures on other primary care services, we should be looking at ways to further harness this potential rather than place the network into further financial peril.