- ‘Responding to Community Pharmacy England’s Medicines Supply Report as part of their Pharmacy Pressures Survey 2024, Malcolm Harrison, Chief Executive of the Company Chemists’ Association said:
“These findings are alarming and show the extent of medicine supply issues which pharmacy teams are forced to deal with day in, day out.
The Government’s continual push to drive down the price paid for medicines is now becoming a false economy for taxpayers. The race to the bottom is likely adding to the number of shortages and demonstrably affecting patient access to medicines.
We urgently need a wholesale review of the medicines supply market to ensure it is fit for purpose. We also need an uplift in retained margin which has not been reviewed since 2014/15, despite significant increases in the volume and price of medicines procured. Ultimately without action, medicine shortages will continue to rise”.