Large multiples will be the lead employer on only 277 of the 4102 placements available for the 2025/26 cohort of pharmacy trainees, new Oriel data reveals.

Last week Oriel revealed that a total of 4102 pharmacy foundation placements were available in England, Scotland and Wales for the 2025/26 cohort.

But the data reveals that Boots, Superdrug, Well Pharmacy and Rowlands are listed as employers for just 6.75% (277) of all placements.

Rowlands placements down 90%

Rowlands confirmed to C+D yesterday (June 19) that it is the “lead employer for five places currently in Oriel as part of a reciprocal arrangement with hospitals”.

But it said that it offered “48 places in England for the 24/25 training year” – 90% more.

Rowlands added that for 2025/26 it also has four pharmacies which are hosting eight “six month placements put forward by hospitals” and “providing a further placement support for hospitals for 13 trainees”.

Read more: Well Pharmacy to slash trainee places by 75% in England 

Meanwhile, Boots is listed as the employer for just 182 placements in Oriel.

Superdrug is the lead employer for 62, according to the software.

Some 26 placements will be employed by Well Pharmacies, the website said.

And no placements are up for grabs at Tesco or Asda.

DPP dismay

Meanwhile in March, C+D exclusively revealed Well pharmacy’s plans to offer “less than 30” places for English pharmacy trainees in the 2025/26 cohort.

At the time, people development manager at Well Jessica Hall told C+D that this would equate to a 75% drop.

Read more: IP: Trainee pharmacists must have clinical prescribing area from 2025/26

She told C+D the “biggest” challenge the multiple has had with the training changes is “around being able to have a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) ” as “currently within community pharmacy we don't have capacity”.

From 2025/26, NHS England (NHSE) has said all foundation trainees “must have access to a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) and a prescribing learning environment”.

Read more: Help or hindrance?: GP practices and PCNs to be paid to train pharmacists

She added that because multisector training isn’t mandatory for trainees until 2026/27 but that both general practices and primary care networks (PCNs) are eligible for “lead employer” trainee pharmacist funding in 2025/26, “the other sectors can serve themselves”.

She added that because multisector training isn’t mandatory for trainees until 2026/27 but that both general practices and primary care networks (PCNs) are eligible for “lead employer” trainee pharmacist funding in 2025/26, “the other sectors can serve themselves”.

“I think that hasn't perhaps helped,” she said.

In January, the Primary Care Pharmacy Association (PCPA) has announced that both general practices and primary care networks (PCNs) will be eligible for “lead employer” trainee pharmacist funding  – which will be £26,500 a year in funding per trainee from next year – from 2025/26.