The result of C+D’s snap poll has shown two thirds of respondents are dissatisfied with the funding deal announced last week (March 31). 

The agreement saw a retrospective increase of £106m for the 2024/25 contract to £2.698bn, and an increase to £3.073bn for the 2025/26 contract. 

Read more: All the headlines: Community pharmacy funding deal 

But of the 339 votes in C+D’s poll, 42% voted 'it’s not a good deal' and a further 24% voted it ‘worse than anticipated'. 

The next highest number of votes (19%) said 'it’s okay'

The remaining 15% voted it a ‘good’ or the ‘best possible’ deal.  

One pharmacist, who commented on the poll, said: “Anyone who think this is a good deal clearly hasn’t read the economic review." 

Read more: Nick Kaye: ‘The NPA isn’t in any mood to back down’ 

The economic review of community pharmacy was published shortly before (March 28) the funding deal and estimated the “full economic cost” of providing NHS pharmaceutical services in England was between £4.4bn and £5.7bn for 2023/24. 

It also found that 47% of pharmacies were not profitable in their last accounting year, when measured by EBITDA. 

Another pharmacist said the deal “legitimises a funding system in which more communities will lose their access to a pharmacy and pharmacy contractors will continue to dig themselves into a pit of debt and depression”. 

Read more: Economic review reveals half of pharmacies ‘not profitable’ 

The poll follows a mixed reaction from the sector to the deal from the industry. 

The IPA said any benefit seen from the deal would be wiped out by the increase in NI, business rate increases, and the rise in the NMW starting this month. The NPA is still considering collective action.