“Pharmacy funding has been a challenge for many, many years in the UK,” he The AJP Podcast host Carlene McMaugh. 

“Every year the government has either reduced the reimbursement for medicines or reduced the reimbursement of services that we do, such as dispensing, prescription and other remove services altogether, which means that actually operating at a profit today has become more of a miracle, more the exception than it is the rule,” he says. 

After failed negotiations with government, Picard says “pharmacy to this day enjoys the same level of remuneration as in 2016”, despite inflation. 

“The cost of medicines has gone up enormously, the cost of electricity and rent had continued to go up to the point that today community pharmacies in England are probably underfunded by to the tune of about 40%.”

Other highlights include: 

11:08 – How the public and politicians are responding to the lack of pharmacies. 

12:25 – Consumers having to travel further to access pharmacy services. 

15:40 – The different types of cost pressures on community pharmacists in the UK. 

21:04 – Mass pharmacy closures, including big chains. 

24:00 – Why pharmacy is still one of the best professions, despite its funding challenges. 

35:50 – What’s happening to all the pharmacy students. 

50:30 – Which other markets the UK could look to for funding examples. 

You can access the full transcript of this podcast here. While we endeavour to ensure all important words and phrases are correct, please note there may be some minor inaccuracies in the transcription.

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