Pharmacy funding crisis ‘closing businesses’

Joe McAleer runs pharmacies in Belcoo and Enniskillen and says the funding crisis is having an impact on patients.

“We can’t afford to stock the volume of medicines we had before, we haven’t the money to actually invest in the stock.

“A lot of pharmacies now can only order in as a prescription comes in, we’re just living day-to-day,” he said.

“Patients are having to make multiple journeys to come in and collect their medicines because the pharmacy hasn’t got it.”

Mr McAleer said increased costs of running the business, such as rates, utility bills and staff wages, meant he had cut back on staff hours and increased his overdraft.

“I know other pharmacies have increased their overdraft, they’ve increased their loans, they are maxed out on their credit cards trying to pay the bills, they’re juggling the wholesalers, they’ve introduced private funds,” he said.

“They depend on sales on the shop floor of shampoos and shower gels to actually pay for the medicines for the patients and that’s an unacceptable situation.“