S26 · E02

Pharmacies: The New NHS Frontline?

Pharmacies see around 1.6 million people a day, but it is estimated that an average of eight are closing a week and they are at their lowest number since 2015. Meanwhile, demand is rising and they are being asked to do more by the Government to take pressure off a stretched NHS. So is the pharmacy sector in crisis, and what does the future hold for these cornerstones of the community? Paul Brand reports.