Some 74% of people surveyed wanted their community pharmacies to give face-to-face advice and act as neighbourhood health and wellbeing centres, according to the study. The online CT Group poll of 1,000 adults for the National Pharmacy Association found 55% of the public have visited a pharmacy during the Covid-19 pandemic to collect prescriptions, buy medicines or seek medical advice. Mr Lane accused the Government of “dragging its feet over offering proper financial assistance for the sector”. “There are many community pharmacies up and down the country on the financial brink, crippled by the extra cost of Covid-19,” he warned. “We have already made £370million available in advance payments under the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework for them and we are engaging with the sector on funding to meet extra costs incurred during the peak of the pandemic.”

Source: Daily Mirror July 10, 2020 18:56 UTC