"Up to 146,000 jobs could be cut": in the face of pharmacists' revolt, Christian Estrosi calls on the Minister of Health

While a national day of mobilization of community pharmacists is planned for August 16 , Christian Estrosi is stepping up to defend a profession in full anger.

In a letter addressed to the Minister of Health, Yannick Neuder, the Mayor of Nice and President of the Metropolis warns of the consequences of the government's plan to reduce margins on generic drugs.

"Up to 146,000 jobs threatened"

On X (formerly Twitter), Christian Estrosi points out that "800 pharmacies are threatened with closure" in France and that "up to 146,000 jobs could be lost" .

A figure that has been relayed for several weeks by pharmacists' unions, who denounce a reform with dramatic consequences for the local fabric, particularly in rural areas or fragile urban districts.

In Nice, the mayor said he had been "contacted by several pharmacists" worried about the future of their pharmacy. "I understand their concern, and I support them," he wrote, before indicating that he had "written to the minister to support their demands."

He calls for an urgent response from the State to preserve a local network essential to public health.

A weakened territorial network

The letter sent to the minister paints a worrying picture of the situation at the local level. In a decade, the number of pharmacies in the department has dropped from 464 in 2014 to 424 in 2024.

A drop which is accompanied, according to the mayor, by a concrete risk of "closures" or "reduction in payroll" , caused by the reduction in revenues linked to generic drugs.

Christian Estrosi also emphasizes the importance of pharmacies in caring for vulnerable populations, particularly in nursing homes, and calls for "finding other solutions to fill the budgetary deficit" in health insurance.

A strong signal for the new Faculty of Pharmacy

The Mayor of Nice finally points out that the city recently opened a pharmacy program within its medical faculty , with a first class of 44 students.

"We did not launch the pharmacy department in Nice recently to abandon them when they need it most," he emphasizes in his message, reinforcing his support for these health professionals.