Exclusive: A Kent pharmacy owner has told P3pharmacy he is “winding down” his prescription business and exiting the NHS contract to avoid having to “go bust” altogether. 

Temitope Awofeso, superintendent pharmacist at Eazihealth Pharmacy & Travel Clinic in Faversham, told P3pharmacy today (January 24) that spiralling business costs and inadequate medicines reimbursement had saddled his business with “unsustainable” debts.

“We just kept racking up debts, we weren’t able to pay our suppliers,” said Mr Awofeso. “We don’t want to close like other pharmacies have.”

“Naproxen is a case in point, it went up to £40. If you get that for a patient, how much is the NHS going to pay you? You’re taking money out to serve the patient. What you’re getting back from the NHS does not cover it.

“We have had to lay off staff. Our delivery driver for example, today is his last day.” 

He wrote to local patients last December advising them of the decision to exit the NHS contract, which will take effect from March 11, and informing them how they could nominate alternative pharmacies.

He told patients: “We were left with no choice but to act now to safeguard the future of Eazihealth Pharmacy and ensure we can continue to serve our public.

“This decision is particularly painful as it feels like it undermines the years of hard work my team and I have put into delivering NHS services and building a loyal customer base.

“We want to assure you that Eazihealth Pharmacy is not closing. Instead, we are focusing our efforts on expanding and enhancing our private healthcare services. This transition will enable us to continue playing a vital role in public health while providing tailored, accessible and high quality private services to meet your healthcare needs. 

“Additionally, we will offer a wide range of OTC medicines to address minor ailments.” 

Mr Awofeso told P3pharmacy he hopes to invest in private services such as vaccinations, ear microsuction and phlebotomy but finances continue to pose a significant challenge. 

“I started to feel the pinch in June when I was supposed to go on a one-week holiday but realised we couldn’t afford it so I had to cancel it,” he said. 

“I discussed with a few colleagues how our NHS business wasn’t working. That was when the NPA was making a lot of noise in the media and talking to MPs, and I was hoping something would happen.”

Mr Awofeso said that after months of uncertainty, he took the decision to exit the NHS contract after a December 6 statement from Community Pharmacy England chief executive Janet Morrison outlining the ongoing delays to funding talks. 

“Her remarks painted a deeply unfavourable picture of the future for NHS pharmacies, leaving us with no viable option other than to take this heart-wrenching step.”

He told P3pharmacy: “I said if we don’t make this decision now we’re going to basically go bust.”

He plans to return to carrying out NHS business if CPE’s negotiations with Labour produce a more sustainable settlement for pharmacies: “We have the right to return to the contract, hopefully they’ll come up with something.”

CPE chief Janet Morrison told P3pharmacy: “Community pharmacies are under immense and continuing pressures, with many pharmacy owners being forced to take concerning steps such as reducing staffing and service provision in order for their businesses to survive. The sector urgently needs to be put on a sustainable financial footing.”