Current challenges for pharmacies and how to solve them

Pharmacies have been finding it tough.

More than 1,500 community pharmacies have closed since 2015, and a recent economic report of community pharmacies in England, showed nearly 80% are not sustainable in the short term.

But why are UK pharmacies struggling?

The most concerning issues facing pharmacists today include rising costs, underfunding, and burnout.

The long list of challenges facing pharmacists can seem overwhelming and sometimes out of your control, but there are things that can be done to help your pharmacy be successful in the long term.

 

 

Challenges in pharmacy

There is a long list of difficulties facing pharmacists which have increased since COVID-19.

 

Pharmacy funding

Funding or a lack of it has led to community pharmacists struggling.

The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) over the 2019-2024 period meant pharmacies saw a 30% real terms cut in core funding and an annual shortfall of £67,000 per pharmacy in England.

But the government guaranteed to fund the sector through the CPCF with £2.698 billion for 2024 to 2025, rising to £3.073 billion in 2025 to 2026.

It also provided £215 million funding for Pharmacy First and other Primary Care Access Recovery plan services and wrote off £193 million of historic medicines margin over-delivery, but this amount isn’t enough to meet the full cost of NHS services to make the sector sustainable.

 

Medication shortages

There have been various reasons why medication shortages have become a problem. There have been over 5,600 medication shortages reported since 2020, with 72% of pharmacy staff saying they have multiple issues a day.

This has impacted patients and put them at risk while also causing workload and wellbeing problems for pharmacy staff.

 

 

Shortage of pharmacists

Pharmcy business owners have had difficulty recruiting permanent staff, and the cost of pharmacy locums has increased.

Pharmacy staffing issues have led to temporary closures of 65% of pharmacies, which again impacts patients, especially when there is more demand for pharmacy services.

 

Rising costs

Increases in inflation, energy and general costs have put more financial pressures on pharmacists.

Along with being underfunded anyway, cash flow issues have caused serious problems for pharmacists.

 

Pharmacist burnout

With so many challenges for pharmacy staff, it’s no surprise that between 51% and 79% of participants in a study of pharmacy staff indicated a high degree of burnout.

Those most impacted were female and community-based pharmacists.

This has led to over half of pharmacists considering leaving the profession.

This not only is a problem for pharmacists but for the community at large.

 

 

Health inequalities

There has been increased demand for care, with 92% of pharmacy staff seeing significant increases in requests from patients unable to access GPs.

At a recent Asthma + Lung UK annual conference at Stormont in June, Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, communicated that health inequalities were a major concern. He expressed shock at the differences in health inequalities of those in deprived areas compared to others.

These health inequalities add to the additional pressures on pharmacists.

 

Solutions for pharmacies

While there are many challenges for pharmacists and sometimes, they can seem outside of your control, there are things you can do to improve the situation.

 

Financial

There are different options pharmacists can take to improve their financial situation. While more funding is needed, pharmacists can raise finance from banks, unlock capital and cash flow from existing property portfolios, and use asset finance to support the installation of automated pharmacy machines.

There are also grants available for installed pharmacy automation, which can help invest in this while also giving pharmacists more time to talk to patients.

Other actions to take include:

1. Cost-cutting measures
2. Asset liquidation options
3. Conducting regularly financial reviews
4. Contingency planning to create a plan that outlines steps for future financial difficulties.

 

Advocacy

Pharmacists and anyone within the industry should support each other to make their voice heard.

By joining organisations and associations that help shape government policy, it could add pressure to the government to provide more support.

By advocating for change, it can help to educate the public to show there are real problems that need to be addressed in the pharmacy sector, which will impact them.

 

Invest in pharmacy automation

Pharmacy automation can streamline operations, reduce waste, and take the pressure off your pharmacy.

There are all types of pharmacy automation machines, from prescription collection machines which help to compete with online sellers, to inventory management, which can help to reduce prescription filling time by 40 seconds per prescription.

 

 

Pharmacy staff management

Ensuring you put staff management practices into place could help retain talent and recruit more.

Create onboarding programs that set out responsibilities clearly to ensure there are realistic expectations for anyone joining.

New staff should be monitored by an experienced member of staff to help integrate them into the pharmacy without throwing them in at the deep end which could impact their mental health.

Providing training, appreciation schemes, and regularly communicating may help to take some of the stress away from staff.

 

Diversify your pharmacy’s revenue streams

More pharmacists now provide additional services such as private consultations, which create extra income.

Marketing the pharmacy and promoting these services, along with developing local partnerships and collaborating with GP surgeries and other medical facilities to get referrals, can all help alleviate the pressures in your pharmacy.

 

 

The future of pharmacies

While there are many challenges facing pharmacies, there are solutions that can help alleviate some of the stress.

Pharmacy automation can help attract more patients, remove some of the burden from staff, and make your processes more efficient.

Edia provides the best support and has a range of pharmacy automation machines to help your pharmacy.

 

If you’ve any questions about our pharmacy automation machines, please get in touch.