Leeds pharmacist says sector is ‘on life support’

The NPA has backed a “work to rule ballot”, which means many pharmacies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland could cut their opening hours unless an “uplift for pharmacy funding” is agreed with the government.

Mr Cohen, who runs Pharm-Assist pharmacies, says he has seen costs and overheads rise in the last decade, citing a rise in the national living wage and employer National Insurance contributions which he is having to absorb.

In addition he says government funding is not covering the cost of the prescriptions patients need, meaning dispensing drugs is loss making for his pharmacies.

He gives the example of medication for blood pressure, which costs him £4.50 for a patient prescription for a month, but the government is only reimbursing this at £3.

This he says is repeated for “many more” medications.

He does not think the situation is sustainable as he says he is “supplying drugs budget out of my own pocket to the government and that’s what’s making it hard”.

His overall concern is his responsibility to his staff and the local community.

He describes himself as a healthcare professional who wants to spend his “time and energy in trying to prevent illness and do everything the government want us to do in terms of treating illness and making people better”.

He adds: “But my time is being spent on asking, ‘have we got enough money to pay the bills in 30, 60, 90 days?’.”