Pharmacies could reduce the amount of hours they open in the evenings and at weekends from the New Year after owners voted in favour of collective action for the first time in their history.
And some could also withdraw from providing emergency contraception and stop smoking services following the historic ballot.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) warned that pharmacists “don’t want to reduce services” but “will be left with no option” if there is not an adequate response from the Government on funding in the coming weeks.
Some 3,339 independent community pharmacies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland took part in the unprecedented ballot, a turnout of 64%.
97.8% said they would serve notice on opening hours above the minimum required by their contract, meaning fewer will be open at evenings and weekends.
According to the NPA, pharmacies are contracted to open for 40 hours a week minimum – although most are open for 50 hours a week on average.
96.1% also voted to withdraw from locally commissioned services such as emergency contraception, addiction support and stop smoking services.
96.8% voted to stop supplying medicine packs that the NHS do not pay pharmacies to provide, other than those covered by the Disability Discrimination Act.
Almost all (99.2%) voted to refuse to co-operate with certain data requests above those required for patient safety and contractual minimums.
‘Something has to give’
NPA chairman Nick Kaye said: “Pharmacies desperately want to support their local communities with access to medicines and advice but have been forced into an untenable position by a decade of underfunding which has led to a record number of closures.
“As a third-generation pharmacist, I deeply care about my patients, as do pharmacy teams across the country, but I have never experienced a situation as desperate as this.
“Pharmacy owners are not a radical bunch, we have never proposed action like this before, but after a decade of underfunding and record closures, something simply has got to give.”
The NPA estimates about 700 pharmacies have shut in England in the last two years, with more than 1,250 closing in the last decade.
Mr Kaye added: “Pharmacies don’t want to reduce services but we will be left with no option but to suggest that pharmacy owners should consider acting on the clear ballot results if government does not act to protect this vital and much-loved part of our health service.”
