NPA survey: Majority of independent pharmacy owners witness negative cashflow in 2022

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) survey revealed that 93 per cent of respondents experienced ‘at least one month’ of negative cash flow across their
pharmacy business in 2022.

Nine out of 10 pharmacy owners responding to NPA survey said they made a net loss dispensing medicines for the NHS during 2022, for at least one month of the year.

According to the poll, 48 per cent of them lost money on this core NHS service for six months or more. 45 per cent said their overall outgoings had exceeded overall
income in at least six months of the year.

NPA Chair Andrew Lane said: “This survey shows the bleak financial reality facing many independent pharmacies after years of underfunding. Dispensing at a loss and
negative cashflow is clearly unsustainable.”

“This funding crisis must be addressed urgently or pharmacies will fall into a spiral of declining services and ultimately widespread closures, he added. “Tragically,
the story is playing out very much in line with independent research commissioned by the NPA last year, which warned of a nationwide financial emergency in our
sector.”