At the same time, the government has proposed a series of policy measures that would divert investment from local pharmacies to other care settings or to online suppliers of medicines, says the National Pharmacy Association.
 
This would involve cutting funding for community pharmacies by £170 million in 2016/17, putting up to a quarter of local pharmacies at risk of closure.
 
Patients would have difficulties accessing medicines and healthcare advice, while pressure would mount on GPs and hospitals, the petition organisers believe.
 
According to Gurpreet “Guppy” Kular of Motts Pharmacy in Reepham, the government is “using a blunt instrument to do this by starving all pharmacies of essential money until the weakest die. Their aim is to reduce clusters of pharmacies like we see in London. However, this cluster problem has been over-exaggerated; in fact it gives patients choice and flexibility.
 
“The other problem is that low-volume pharmacies like ours and others in the country will be hit hard also. Extra funding is promised to us, but as yet we don’t know how much and it will be too small to make a difference.”
 
Mr Kular is asking for public support to voice these concerns to the government and let them know how essential local pharmacies are to local communities.
 
A petition to stop cuts to pharmacy funding and support pharmacy services can be signed at Motts Pharmacy in Market Place, Reepham.
 
You can also:

• write a letter or email to your MP, telling him or her that you want them to back your local pharmacies;
• sign the parliamentary e-petition.

 
To date, more than 600 signatures have been collected in Reepham alone and over one million nationally, Mr Kular revealed.
 
http://supportyourlocalpharmacy.org/