The parliamentary All-Party Pharmacy Group (APPG) has issued a call for more government support for pharmacies following its ‘flash inquiry’ into the impact of COVID-19.
The group’s report, published today, says that pharmacies are facing challenges and threats “at a level never before experienced” and that many pharmacies could close within a year due to financial pressures.
It calls on the government to write off the advanced payments made to pharmacies in England to cope with added COVID-19 costs, as “an immediate way of providing relief”.
NPA chief executive, Mark Lyonette, said today:
“This report represents a growing body of opinion in parliament, across the political spectrum, that pharmacies are not getting the support they need and that action is needed immediately. The public and their representatives in parliament are clear that pharmacies have proven their worth during the pandemic. The Government and the senior ranks at NHS England need to respond decisively, for the good of patients and the nation as a whole.”
The NPA is working with citizens group 38 Degrees to petition for adequate funding, including the COVID payments. The petition, which was launched on Friday, can be signed here.
