Our survey of the sector found that pharmacists are working harder as their costs per item are increasing, while their profit per unit is declining. There has been no compensation for the additional burdens associated with the complexity and administrative workload associated with community drug schemes increasing over this period.

Expenditure on wages and salaries continued to rise, from €291,200 per pharmacy in 2009 to €399,883 in 2024, an increase of 37.32 per cent. Rising employment costs continue to account for a greater proportion of a pharmacy’s revenue base and are the most important cost burden on the sector.