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Community pharmacies in Northern Ireland face a £12.4 million hike in costs due to increases in National Insurance and the Minimum Wage from 1 April, according to Community Pharmacy NI.

“The hike threatens the long-term sustainability of essential community healthcare services, adding a further significant cost burden to an already beleaguered network of community pharmacies across Northern Ireland,” says CPNI. “The increased operational costs will impact on service provision and patient accessibility.”

Since the start of 2023, 17 community pharmacies in Northern Ireland have shut their doors. Against this backdrop, health minister Mike Nesbitt recently told MLAs at the Assembly Health Committee that he does not foresee additional funding being allocated to cover the extra costs.

Community pharmacies are calling on officials to protect the community pharmacy network from these cost increases and for a rebalancing of healthcare provision, one that emphasises community care, prioritises prevention over treatment, and supports people in managing their conditions at home.

Chief executive of CPNI, Gerard Greene, said: “Community pharmacies are already subsidising the health service, and [the cost increases] will make the situation worse. We have already seen 17 community pharmacies close in Northern Ireland since the beginning of 2023 due to the funding shortfall the sector is grappling with.

“These further pressures will certainly impact patients and lead to reduced services in many local areas at a time when we are supposed to support the development of community-based healthcare services.”