Missed medications, worsening symptoms and increased pressure on urgent care have contributed to efforts to reignite a focus on under-pressure pharmacies.

Residents across the county are still facing difficulties accessing medication and collecting prescriptions, even when pharmacies are open. With increasing closures, including temporary shutdowns due to staff shortages, some people are finding it difficult to access services at all.

The issue was highlighted at a recent Devon County Council cabinet meeting, where councillors discussed the growing strain on the sector and its impact on communities.

Councillor Steve Lodge (Liberal Democrat, Tiverton) said the problems were “happening right now to real people in Devon” and called for a motion on the problems to be discussed at the next full council meeting.

“I chaired a meeting in January which was inspiring because the community really turned out, but deeply troubling due to the sheer human cost,” he said.

Cllr Lodge pointed to a survey of 3,000 people carried out by a Tiverton GP surgery, which found that 35 per cent had been unable to buy basic over-the-counter medicines locally, while 30 per cent were unable to access a pharmacy at all.

He said 301 responses, around 10 per cent, indicated potential patient harm due to missed medication, worsening symptoms and increased reliance on urgent care services.

There had also been a 10 per cent rise in GP appointments linked directly to pharmacy issues, which he described as “not sustainable”.

Nationally, there were 436 permanent pharmacy closures in England last year, alongside around 13,000 temporary closures. Some branches run by the chain Jhoots closed, although many were later taken over by Allied Pharmacies.

“The most common reason is that there are not enough staff,” Cllr Lodge said. He added that nearly two-thirds of pharmacies could close within the next year without further support, according to the National Pharmacy Association.

He warned that closures are disproportionately affecting deprived areas, with more than 40 per cent of high street pharmacy closures being in the poorest 20 per cent of communities.

Cllr Lodge reiterated his motion was “not about blame”, praising pharmacy staff working under “impossible pressure”.

“There is relentless demand, a lack of support, impossible choices, and systemic failure in terms of funding, workforce, supply chain and commissioning,” he said. “It requires a systemic response.”

Devon County Council does not directly control pharmacies, which operate under NHS contracts, but it works alongside health partners and can lobby the government for support.

Councillor Andrew Leadbetter (Conservative, Wearside and Topsham) suggested prescription delivery services could help ease access issues. However, Cllr Lodge said while useful, they risk drawing business away from local pharmacies that provide vital face-to-face services, including advice and vaccinations.

Steve Brown, the council’s director of public health, said the issue was being discussed at both the council’s health and wellbeing board and the NHS integrated care board (ICB). He confirmed the council had written to the Secretary of State for Health and received a positive response.

He added that while contracts are set nationally, ministers were aware of the pressures facing the sector.

The government has previously said it plans to give pharmacy technicians greater responsibility, allowing pharmacists to focus more on patient care.

A motion on the issue of pharmacies could be discussed at the next full council meeting of Devon County Council in May.