If the current rate of pharmacy closures continues, the total number of pharmacies in England is projected to fall below 10,000 by the end of September
Based on a new analysis, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has warned that the number of pharmacies in England could drop to their lowest levels in nearly 20 years within the Labour government's first 100 days in office.
Currently, there are 10,054 pharmacies operating in England, but if the current rate of closures continues, this number is projected to fall below 10,000 by the end of September – a level not seen since 2005 when the total stood at 9,872.
According to the NPA, an average of seven pharmacies have closed each week this year, contributing to over 1,500 closures since 2015.
These closures are largely attributed to a 40 per cent reduction in community pharmacy budgets, compounded by the rising cost of medicines.
The NPA has urged Health Secretary Wes Streeting to urgently reverse cuts to community pharmacies, noting that it will help prevent further closures and reduce cuts to opening hours.
Paul Rees, Chief Executive of the National Pharmacy Association said: “2005 saw the launch of You Tube, McFly making number one in the charts and George W Bush inaugurated for his second term as US president.
"Now is not the time to allow a vital part of NHS local services to decline to levels not seen since the dawn of social media.”
Additionally, the organisation highlighted that the workload for community pharmacies drastically increased over the past 20 years, with pharmacies now dispensing 56 per cent more prescriptions than in 2006.
The NPA has warned that many community pharmacies are ‘on the brink’ without urgent investment, and further closures will exacerbate pressure on “already stretched” GP practices.
"This is a vital opportunity to halt the closures and invest in community pharmacies, which provide prescriptions, clinical services and health support to neighbourhoods up and down the country.
"Preventing the ongoing collapse of community pharmacy will help to cut waiting times for GPs, provide better immediate care for patients and keep the front door to the NHS open,” Paul stated.
A recent NPA analysis of pharmacy opening hours found that two-thirds of businesses have reduced their hours since 2015, an average of 20 per cent reduction in opening hours overall.
“Many owners of independent pharmacies represented by the NPA have had no choice but to reduce their hours in order to keep their doors open,” it said.
In the analysis of pharmacy opening hours from 2015 to 2024 from a sample of locations across England, the NPA found that:
- 63 per cent of pharmacies decreased their opening hours since 2015.
- Only 2.5 per cent of pharmacies increased their hours during this period.
- The average weekly opening hours dropped from 54.2 hours in 2015 to 48.1 hours in 2024.
- Nearly 5 per cent of the pharmacies sampled have closed entirely during this time.
Recently, a survey by Community Pharmacy England (CPE) also revealed that an overwhelming 96 per cent of pharmacy owners stopped delivering locally commissioned services over the past 12 months due to escalating financial and operational pressures.
