The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has proposed 19 September as a second day of action as part of an ongoing campaign to ‘save’ community pharmacy.

The first day of action on 20 June 2024 saw up to 6,000 pharmacies across the UK stage a series of protests, from turning out the lights, blacking out windows and wearing dark clothing.

The date of 19 September has been proposed to further highlight financial difficulties in the sector during the political party conference season.

The NPA said it would ‘consult widely’ across the sector on ‘powerful symbolic action’ to take but will ‘remain absolutely committed’ to ensuring patients and staff are safe and not put at risk.

A cross-sector ‘Save Our Pharmacies’ petition now has more than 160,000 signatures, according to the association.

Paul Rees, chief executive of the NPA, recently highlighted the pressures experienced by community pharmacies.

On the latest proposed day of action, he said: ‘We must ask our members to save the date and give ourselves a fresh moment to make it crystal clear that our network needs urgent support if it is to help deliver for patients across the UK.

‘We cannot leave anyone in any doubt about the need to fund pharmacies properly and ease the financial crisis that has seen more than 1,400 close in the past decade,’ Mr Rees added.