COMMUNITY PHARMACIES

That this House notes the Government's response to the Office of Fair Trading Report on the future of pharmacies; recognises the widespread concerns that the new proposals will lead to deregulation of the sector by the backdoor with the potential loss of many local pharmacies; regrets that the current consultation on the Government's proposals is limited to the implementation of its proposals without giving those who retain serious anxieties about them the opportunity to make further representations about the consequences of the changes; recognises the important role that pharmacists play in the National Health Service and the potential that they offer to take pressure off the primary care sector and to improve the diagnostic capabilities of the Health Service; and calls on the Government not to press ahead with its plans unless and until it can clearly demonstrate that its proposals will not lead to the closure of large numbers of community pharmacies.