Scotland’s biggest health board has warned that pharmacy closures are having a “significant impact” on access to medicines.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said a “perfect storm” of positive Covid tests, self-isolation, routine annual leave and staff shortages had led to an escalation of closures over the past month.
The health board’s Community Pharmacy Development Team has written to pharmacy owners to remind them they are contractually obliged to report closures immediately and put arrangements in place for prescriptions that are still to be collected.
In a memo to owners shared with The Herald, Alan Harrison, lead pharmacist for NHSGGC, writes that on three separate occasions, the team was “not aware of the closure until notified by a third party”.
NHS Lothian has previously warned that closures are risking patient care.
It comes after the Scottish Government said yesterday there is “no evidence” the problem is widespread, despite unions repeatedly raising concerns that firms are opting to shut rather than agree a rate with locums.
According to the PDA one pharmacy refused to agree to pay a locum a rate that was the equivalent of an extra £1 an hour.
The union is asking employees and locums to report incidents where contractors are choosing to close and says 50 closures were logged in the first week the online tool was launched.
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