Failing to fund chemist's shops could prove false economy

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) says the UK has fewer pharmacies per 100,000 people than not just our neighbours such as France, Spain and the Republic of Ireland, but also former communist states such as Romania, Latvia and Bulgaria. The average UK chemist's shop also serves almost twice as many customers as those in France, and more than twice as many as in Ireland.

Some of this may be down to geography, with many parts of the UK having far more dense populations than rural France or Ireland. But if ostensibly poorer countries such as Romania and Bulgaria are providing better coverage, it does suggest something is wrong. 

Perhaps more revealing is how the UK spend less per head on medicines than most comparable countries, with Germany spending double what we do in this country. 

The NPA is now warning of cuts to opening hours, and withdrawing services such as addiction support and helping to quit smoking.

The Government does not have an endless supply of money, and it is worth remembering that any increase in spending would have to be met with either tax rises, or cuts to other services. On the other hand, ministers have talked at length about the role they see pharmacists playing in relieving other areas of the NHS.

Prevention is better than cure, and it would be both tragic and short-sighted if penny-pinching with the pharmacy sector were to result in more patients ending up in A & E with serious conditions.