Community Pharmacy NI leaders tell MLAs medicine security cannot be guaranteed

Almost 90% of pharmacies were unable to pay their wholesaler bill in January

Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland (CPNI) told the Assembly Health Committee today, 26 February 2026, that unless the Health Minister steps in to stabilise community pharmacy funding, the security of medicine supply to patients in Northern Ireland cannot be guaranteed.

Having raised an alert on shortages and potential rationing of some well-known painkillers and blood thinning medicines in Northern Ireland earlier this month, MLAs invited community pharmacy representatives to provide an update on the situation.

Gerard Greene, Chief Executive of CPNI said,

“Medicine supply difficulties are presenting disproportionate challenges for community pharmacies and patients in Northern Ireland, compared to other parts of the UK. We met with the Health Minister over a month ago to raise the alarm on this situation, and to date, the actions recommended by CPNI have not been accepted.”

Mr Greene highlighted that global medicine shortages are hitting harder in Northern Ireland due to deeper, systemic funding issues which are affecting pharmacies’ ability to pay wholesalers. Pharmacy contractors are using their own money to bridge a growing gap in funding.

MLAs were advised that 367 of 414 pharmacies supplied by a major wholesaler were unable to pay their wholesaler bill in January, risking medicine supply to patients.

Mr Greene continued,

“For years, we have been highlighting that the Department’s baseline funding level for community pharmacy is wrong. The current medicine supply issue has now revealed the further cracks in a dangerously fragile model. Significant disruption to the supply of medicines to patients in Northern Ireland is inevitable as a direct consequence of a failure by the Department to address this.

“The Department of Health has repeatedly pushed back on calls to review the funding model for Community Pharmacy which it imposed over 15 years ago without negotiation then or since. And worryingly, the Department’s own calculations have been exposed as being incorrect several times over the past year.

“We are calling for negotiations on a new community pharmacy contract to begin as a matter of urgency. As a temporary – but immediate – solution to this, we are calling on the Minister to suspend the clawback that the Department deducts from our drug payments. We are not looking for more money; we’re asking for this funding to be left in the system so that we can pay our monthly medicine wholesaler bills.”

Mr Greene also described the impact of a volatile medicines supply chain being beyond the control of community pharmacies. The current payment model is simply not keeping pace with the rapidly rising drug cost prices and therefore our funding deficit is widening. As a result, pharmacies are increasingly not able to pay their medicine wholesalers’ bills and the extent of that was laid bare at the Health Committee today. Wholesalers then stop supply and this further affects the availability of medicines for patients.

Given the issues with getting paid and the drug tariff arrangements, Mr Greene stated that several wholesalers have stopped supplying Northern Ireland pharmacies or left the market totally, further reducing competition and in turn pushing wholesale medicine prices up to a greater extent here compared to the rest of the UK.

Gerard Greene said, “The reality of this situation is that pharmacies are left scrambling around to try and secure medicines for their patients. It’s patently wrong, it is increasingly unsafe and it is not sustainable. Alongside the Department of Health, we have a duty to maintain the safe and secure supply of medicine for the public. This is about paying the bills and getting medicines for our patients.

“The Minister needs to step in urgently to stabilise and fund community pharmacies properly, to secure safe medicine supplies, and to work with UK Government to prioritise and protect medicine stocks for patients in Northern Ireland, as was done for Brexit and the pandemic.”