Almost two-thirds (62%) of pharmacy team members have reported a reduced ability to offer services or advice to patients because of staffing shortages, a survey by Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has revealed.

Nearly all (95%) of pharmacy team members surveyed said that staff shortages had led to increased pressure on remaining staff, while 61% said that remaining staff had to increase their working hours and 86% said staff shortages had led to increased waiting times for patients.

The findings, based on CPE's 2024 pressures survey, represent the views of over 6,100 pharmacy premises in England and 2,000 pharmacy team members, as surveyed in March - April 2024.

'Unable to fill vacancies'

Seven in 10 (71%) pharmacy owners said they were currently short of non-pharmacist staff members, while six in 10 (58%) said they were short of pharmacists.

And 69% of pharmacy owners said they were experiencing a shortage of permanent team members.

Some 76% of pharmacy owners said they struggled to recruit permanent staff, while 71% said they experienced challenges in covering staffing or locum costs.

One pharmacy owner responding to the survey said they were unable to fill vacancies because despite lots of interviews, they were 'yet to find a colleague who would be able to manage the workload or pressure involved' in the job.

And another commented: 'The increased pressures are not sustainable long term and will cause staff illness and absence, which will increase the pressure on staff. Each action of the community pharmacy has to be properly funded to allow the service to grow to cover the workload that is being transferred from other NHS service providers.'

Wellbeing in owners' top three concerns

Nearly half of pharmacy owners (45%) said they were extremely concerned about team wellbeing - ranking as the third highest concern after finances (73%) and medicine supply issues (69%).

Three quarters 'barely' or 'not coping'

More than three quarters (77%) of pharmacy team members said their work was negatively impacting their mental health and wellbeing, and one in three said they were either 'barely coping' or 'not coping at all'.

Nearly all (92%) said workload was making it hard to cope at work, 85% cited problems sourcing medicines, 56% mentioned patient abuse and 40% cited lack of available staff.

Staff shortages causing temporary closures

More than one in 10 (14%) of pharmacy owners reported that their pharmacy had needed to close temporarily due to workforce shortages - totalling 711 pharmacy premises across the country between February and March 2024.

And NHS Business Services Authority data from October 2021 to July 2024 revealed that being unable to find a locum was the biggest reason for temporary closures (65% of closures), followed by short notice staff sickness (14%).

'A workforce that is falling over does not support quality patient care'

Janet Morrison, CPE chief executive, said the negotiator was 'deeply concerned about staff wellbeing and the negative impact that the current pressures are having on both the mental health of the community pharmacy workforce and on patient care'.

'Community pharmacy teams are working non-stop to protect their patients and local communities, but a workforce that is falling over does not support the delivery of quality patient care,' she said.

'If pharmacy staff are overworked, understaffed, harassed and facing significant stress, it negatively affects their ability to meet patient needs.

'If we want to make full use of the clinical skills of community pharmacists and their teams, we must address these workforce shortages, as well as the critical funding constraints and capacity issues, in the sector.'

Government and NHS asked to consider funding, training and ARRS

CPE has called for community pharmacy funding to be increased to support recruitment and retention of pharmacy staff.

And it said that fully implementing plans to expand the training and development of the workforce 'will significantly aid recruitment and retention in the sector'.

CPE also asked the NHS to consider the impact of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) on community pharmacy.

The negotiator said the scheme had 'led to the recruitment of over 5,000 pharmacists, primarily from community pharmacy, into GP surgeries and PCNs', resulting in 'shortages, temporary closures and rising costs'.

A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson responded that the new government had 'inherited a broken NHS'.

'We are committed to supporting community pharmacists who have a vital role to play in our plans to move the focus of care out of hospitals and into the community,' they added.

And they said they were looking at concluding the national funding and contractual framework arrangements for 2024/25 'as a matter of urgency'.

Support available through Pharmacist Support

And it highlighted support available through wellbeing charity Pharmacist Support’s ACTNow wellbeing campaign, which encourages pharmacy owners to:

  • Allow time for wellbeing;
  • Consider the needs of others; and
  • Take action.

Also commenting on the survey findings, Danielle Hunt, chief executive of Pharmacist Support, said that calls to its peer support service, Listening Friends, had risen by 74% in the last year alone.

'With staff wellbeing ranking as one of the top concerns for pharmacy owners, it is clear that immediate action is needed to support the health and sustainability of our pharmacy workforce,' she added.

RPS surveying staff on wellbeing

Last week, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), in partnership with Pharmacist Support and in collaboration with the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK, launched its annual workforce wellbeing survey.

It has been distributed by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and will be open until Tuesday 12 November.