Up to 7 million people in England, eqivalent to one in eight of the population, have seen their local pharmacy close since 2017, a new analysis by the NPA has revealed today.

The Association has warned the Government that patients face reduced access to medication – and pressure on those pharmacies that remain will only grow more severe unless urgent action is taken to reverse cuts to pharmacy budgets.

The NPA estimates that 7 million hours of pharmacy time has been lost to patients in the last two years, with rural areas particularly impacted as pharmacies have been forced to cut their opening hours or close altogether due to the impact of 40 per cent cuts to funding in the past decade.

The NPA says it analysed NHS data on pharmacy provision in England. Among the key findings:

• Around 1,250 pharmacies have shut since 2017. Given that pharmacies each serve an average of 5,600 people, this means that up to 7 million people have seen their local pharmacy close, the body says. The majority of these closures have occurred in the last three years
• Pharmacies in England were open for 551,000 hours a week in 2024, down from 620,000 in 2022, a reduction of around 7 million hours in the last two years
• Cambridgeshire, Wiltshire, Kent and Devon have been particularly impacted. Kent saw 109,000 hours of pharmacy time lost in the last two years, Wiltshire lost 41,000 hours, Cambridgeshire 46,000 hours and Devon 49,000 hours.

Nearly all of the pharmacies which voted in the NPA’s recent ballot said they would be prepared to take collective action for the first time in their history if the funding situation did not improve. This would include cutting opening hours to contractual minimums, a move which could result in around one million hours of pharmacy time being lost.

The NPA warns that if a new funding settlement does not meet its five tests, action could still be recommended.

Chair Nick Kaye said: “These are shocking figures which show that millions of patients have lost access to pharmacies who provide vital medication and care on their doorsteps. It is particularly concerning to see rural areas continuing to lose pharmacy time, which will force vulnerable isolated patients to travel further for the care they need.

“We’re relieved to hear that talks have finally begun for the long overdue pharmacy settlement but unless urgent and sustained increases in pharmacy funding are delivered imminently, this situation will only worsen. Patients will face more and more difficulties getting the care they need and pharmacies will have no choice but to cut their services further to make ends meet.”

Pharmacy closures in England last year was second highest on record, says NPA

Commenting on the report, Company Chemists’ Assocation chief executive Malcolm Harrison said: “Patients have lost access to almost 3.4 million hours of pharmacy care a year since September 2022. Over one-third of hours were lost as pharmacies were forced to cut their opening hours with the effects of historic underfunding continuing to take their toll.

“This demonstrates the damaging impact that underfunding of community pharmacies in England continues to have, beyond the permanent closure of pharmacies. Ultimately it is patients and taxpayers who suffer from this reduction in access to NHS care.

“Community pharmacies want to deliver more care for patients but are held back by an outdated and broken NHS funding contract. After a decade without any funding increase, pharmacies desperately need additional money just to survive, and further long-term investment if they are do more”.