ANGRY pharmacists are refusing to offer after-hours emergency drug supplies to GPS in protest at Government cuts in funding.

The chain of M&M pharmacies in Durham, Shildon and Bishop Auckland, where there are two, is refusing to provide cover for GPs wanting emergency drugs through the night, after the Government imposed a ten per cent reduction in fees that chemists receive for every prescription.

According to Godfrey Horridge, from the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC), doctors are prescribing drugs in smaller quantities - in line with Government guidelines aimed at cutting waste - which result in more frequent prescriptions.

Mr Horridge said the Government has tried to claw back some of the extra money chemists were making through increased prescriptions by reducing the amount they could claim for each prescription, from £1.40 to 98p from November 1.

But he says the fee reductions were not properly discussed.

The situation will be reviewed in April, but Patricia King, director and superintendent pharmacist at M&M Chemists, said the cost-cutting amounted to about £2,000 a month for all four pharmacies.

She is taking M&M off the voluntary after-hours emergency list in protest.

Ms King said on average, each pharmacy received roughly two calls a week from police trying to find emergency drugs for GPs.

She said the change represented a large drop in fees.

"Naturally pharmacies are a little bit upset, but don't know what to do about it. The only way we can show how upset we are is by withdrawing our emergency cover. The Government claims we've done more prescriptions this year, so will have got more money from our fees, but not everybody has made more."

The dispute does not affect customers wishing to obtain prescriptions out of hours.

A County Durham Health Authority spokeswoman said no other chemists were thought to be taking part in the protest, but they had arranged for doctors to obtain emergency drugs at hospitals.

She said: "This is centrally negotiated and something that the health authority has had to implement as a result of central government.

"Whilst we acknowledge that the voluntary rota emergency prescription service cover has been helpful, we now have urgent care centres that can provide cover in emergencies.