Pharmaceutical wholesaler Mawdsleys is sending out a ‘Cuts Survival Pack’ to pharmacists in England to help them deal with the impact of looming government funding cuts.
The survival pack, which will be distributed to thousands of local pharmacists across the country, highlights how the use of technology and more efficient business practices can help offset the impact of proposed pharmacy cuts by protecting revenue.
It is feared that the planned 6 percent reduction in the NHS budget for community pharmacy planned for 2016/17 – equating to a cash shortfall of some £170 million – could force many businesses across the country to close.
The campaign supports action by the National Pharmacy Association, which has launched a petition opposing these cuts that has so far received 873,000 signatures at an average of 30,000 per day, and is to be presented to Downing Street in May.
“With the prospect of significant funding cuts, it is important pharmacists ensure they are making the best use of technology and wider business practices in order to protect revenue,” noted Dr Omar Shakoor, Pharmaceutical Services Director at Mawdsleys.
He also stressed that not all services are subject to cuts, and there there is “valuable revenue” available for carrying out duties such as Medicines Use Reviews, which, where offered appropriately, provide an important clinical service to patients that can also improve patient loyalty”.
Around 1.6 million people visit pharmacies every day for treatment and advice.
