Sugden raises concerns over pressures facing rural community pharmacies

Independent MLA Claire Sugden has written to the Minister of Health to raise concerns about the growing pressures facing rural community pharmacies, following repeated contact from pharmacies across her constituency about medicine supply difficulties, rising costs and long-term sustainability.

 “I am being contacted regularly by rural community pharmacies who are struggling to source routinely prescribed medicines, including medicines for pain relief, blood pressure and heart conditions. In some cases, medicines are unavailable, while in others they can only be obtained at prices well above NHS reimbursement. For small rural pharmacies with limited purchasing power, this can mean dispensing essential medicines at a loss simply to ensure patients are not left without treatment,” she said.

“In many rural and isolated communities, the local pharmacy is often the only one serving the area for several miles and is the most accessible point of healthcare, particularly for older people or those without transport. Pharmacy teams are spending increasing amounts of time chasing suppliers, which takes staff away from direct patient care and adds further pressure to already stretched services. These challenges sit uneasily alongside continued public messaging encouraging people to turn to their local community pharmacy, and raise real questions about how sustainable this model is without proper support.”

“I have asked the Minister how the Department is factoring the role of rural community pharmacies into policy decisions and how the sustainability of these essential services is being addressed. Protecting access to pharmacy services in rural areas must remain a priority if we are serious about supporting care closer to home.”