Number of pharmacies could fall to lowest level since 2005, sector leaders warn

The number of pharmacies in England could fall below 10,000 for the first time in almost 20 years, leaders from the sector have warned.

There are currently 10,054 pharmacies in England, according to analysis by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA).

It claims seven pharmacies a week have closed in 2024 so far, with more than 1,500 shutting down since 2015 due to cuts in pharmacy budgets and the increased cost of medicine.

The analysis found that if these trends continue, pharmacy numbers could fall below 10,000 for the first time since 2005, when there were 9,872 pharmacies in England.

NPA chief executive Paul Rees said: “2005 saw the launch of YouTube, 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.

“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.”

Separate analysis of pharmacy opening hours by the NPA found 63% of pharmacies had cut their opening hours since 2015, with just 2.5% increasing hours in the same period.

In 2015, pharmacies were open for an average of 54.2 hours a week compared to 48.1 hours in 2024, according to the NPA.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This Government inherited a broken NHS and pharmacies have been neglected for years. We are monitoring closures closely.

“Pharmacies are key to our plans to make healthcare fit for the future, as we shift the focus of the NHS out of hospitals and into the community.

“We will expand the role of pharmacies – making better use of pharmacists’ skills, including accelerating the rollout of independent prescribing.”