A community pharmacist in Northern Ireland has expressed his fear services will be reduced as a result of cost increases from next month.
Liam Bradley of Bradley's Pharmacies said financial pressures, medicine shortages, and changing drug pricing will impact on the ability to continue delivering day-to-day pharmacy services. It comes as community pharmacies will face a £12.4 million increase in costs due to national insurance and minimum wage rises from April 1.
The hike threatens the long-term sustainability of essential community healthcare services, adding a further significant cost burden to an already beleaguered network of community pharmacies. Since the start of 2023, 17 community pharmacies in Northern Ireland have shut their doors amid an ongoing funding shortfall that the sector is struggling to overcome.
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Speaking to Belfast Live, Liam Bradley said: "With ongoing financial pressures, medicine shortages and fluctuating drug pricing making cash flow very difficult, the increase in NIC (national insurance) will, categorically, impact on my ability to continue delivering pharmacy services. I simply cannot absorb these cost increases and consequently opening hours and jobs are at risk, which will ultimately affect our ability to deliver for patients.
"Worryingly for the longer-term future of community pharmacy, we are also seeing signs that these financial pressures are putting the next generation of pharmacists off from becoming pharmacy owners. Young pharmacists simply don’t want to take on a contract for a service that is so unstable and is becoming increasingly unviable as a business model."
The industry representative body, Community Pharmacy NI, says the increased operational costs will impact on service provision and patient accessibility. Against the backdrop of these closures, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt MLA recently told MLAs at the Assembly Health Committee that he does not foresee additional funding being allocated to cover the extra costs.
Community pharmacies are calling on officials to protect the community pharmacy network from these cost increases and are calling for a rebalancing of healthcare provision, one that emphasises community care, prioritises prevention over treatment, and supports people in managing their conditions at home.
Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy NI, Gerard Greene, said: "In the private sector, businesses can often offset such cost increases by raising the prices of their goods and services. Community pharmacies do not have this option. Unlike the health service, they are not shielded from these increases, which are mounting. Community pharmacies are already subsidising the health service, and this will make the situation worse.
“We have already seen 17 community pharmacies close in Northern Ireland since the beginning of 2023 due to the funding shortfall the sector is grappling with. These further pressures because of the NIC increases will certainly impact patients and lead to reduced services in many local areas at a time when we are supposed to support the development of community-based healthcare services and take pressure off secondary care. This runs contrary to the transformation objectives that the health service needs to take forward."
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