COMMUNITY PHARMACY HAS ‘ADD-ONS’ THAT ONLINE PLATFORMS SIMPLY CANNOT PROVIDE DUE TO THEIR VIRTUAL PRESENCE
• NHS Business Services Authority also confirmed that it recorded 557 pharmacy ownership changes in the same period, although this will have included administrative changes and not solely be due to pharmacy sales.
‘The composition of the sector remained broadly the same as previous years,’ says the review, ‘albeit recording a circa two per cent reduction in contracts owned and operated by corporate or supermarket operators, now sitting at circa 40 per cent of the overall market. However, supermarket operators maintained their share, with the larger corporate operators seeing the most notable declines as they continued divestment and/or closure programmes to protect their retained estates.
‘As with previous years, where corporate operators continued their divestment strategies, both first-time buyers and independent operators were quick to seize such opportunities, seeking to reinvigorate the pharmacies by offering more localised and adaptable services to meet patient needs. Since our last pharmacy market review in 2021, we have continued to witness increased
appetite for larger group opportunities, as well as investments from new entrants to the market.’
Employment challenges When it comes to locum rates, it would appear that Scottish locums have done relatively well in comparison with their colleague in the other UK regions.
‘Without doubt,’ says the report, ‘over the course of the pandemic, the pharmacy sector rose to the challenge of delivering its primary care role during one of the most difficult operational periods the sector has ever had to endure. Pressures on the pharmacy workforce have been well-documented in the trade media. However, structural changes introduced under the DHSC’s (Department of Health and Social Care) Five Year Deal, alongside the cap on funding, have had an inevitable consequence for the sector. The introduction of Primary Care Networks and GP pharmacist positions have resulted in a significant drain of resources away from community pharmacy.’
Online pharmacy platforms The review also looked at the ‘threat’ posed to community pharmacy by online pharmacy
platforms. While highlighting the rapid rise in the number of platforms, Christie & Co was quick to highlight the fact that community pharmacy has ‘add-ons’ that online platforms simply cannot provide due to their virtual presence.
‘In our 2021 pharmacy market review,’ they commented on the rapid escalation that the key online pharmacy platforms had witnessed since the start of the pandemic. Offering remote dispensing services during the successive lockdowns and tier restrictions was always going to be attractive to patients, however, the view continues to be that community pharmacy is not only able to mirror this remote service, but also provide additional services and support to its patient groups.
‘With all restrictions lifted in a phased manner in 2021, and subsequently fully lifted in 2022, many anticipated that online providers would see a settling of dispensing volumes or, at best, static performance. However, this has not been the case, with all but one of the seven operators in the sample group showing continued item growth, returning a combined average increase of 22 per cent in the twelve months to June 2022.’
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