The National Pharmacy Association (NPA), which represents 6,000 independent community pharmacies, said it would recommend that its members take collective action – such as cutting opening hours – if a new funding is not announced by the Government “imminently”.
Nick Kaye, chairman of the organisation, said: “Pharmacies face a financial cliff edge at the beginning of April, with a triple whammy of rising National Insurance, National Living Wage and business rates all arriving at once.
According to the NPA, the effect of National Insurance and National Living Wage rises will mean pharmacies in England face £250 million of unplanned costs come April.
Some 99.7% of pharmacies who voted in the NPA’s ballot said they would be prepared to take collective action for the first time in their history if their funding situation did not improve.
Without imminent funding certainty from the Government we may be left with little choice but to recommend collective action to ensure pharmacies can survive for the patients who rely on them.”.
