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Health: nine pharmacies out of ten were on strike this Thursday, May 30
Health: nine pharmacies out of ten were on strike this Thursday, May 30
(France 2)
Pharmacies lowered the curtain this Thursday, May 30. More than three quarters of pharmacies were closed and 30,000 pharmacists marched in the streets, according to the unions.
Nine pharmacies out of ten were on strike on Thursday May 30. Never has the profession mobilized so much, the sign of a deep malaise, with multiple roots. The first observation is that there are more and more shortages of medicines. 4,925 medications were out of stock in 2023, a figure that has been steadily increasing since 2018. Patients notice this frequently. Another concern is the massive phenomenon of pharmacies closing due to lack of buyers. To explain this drop in attractiveness of the profession, pharmacists also point to insufficient income.
In 2021, the profession declared an average annual income of 80,000 euros gross. A figure which hides large disparities between local pharmacies and large pharmacies. Three quarters of pharmacists’ income comes from fees paid by social security. The amounts are currently being negotiated with health insurance.
