The total number of bricks-and-mortar pharmacies in England has dropped below 10,000, new pharmacy data published today (April 4) has revealed.
As of March 31, only 9,999 pharmacies excluding distance selling pharmacies (DSPs) remained – down from 10,015 the previous month and 10,044 at the end of 2024.
Read more: Pharmacy numbers to drop below 10,000 for the first time in 20 years
In the first three months of the year, England lost a net 31 medium-sized pharmacy branches and 24 large pharmacy branches.
But the country saw a net gain of 27 “small” pharmacies in the period, the NHSBSA data revealed.
In August, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) warned that if pharmacy closures continued at the same rate, the number of pharmacies in England would fall below 10,000 by the end of the following month for the first time since 2005, when numbers stood at 9,872.
“Struggling pharmacies”
The news comes just days after the government announced a new 2025/26 pharmacy contract deal, which will see the sector receive an extra £481m on 2023/24 figures – an 18.6% rise.
The contract has faced criticism from the sector, with the Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA) criticising the lack of any “immediate cash injection” to help “struggling pharmacies” and the NPA adding that the deal “falls a long way short” of the true amount needed to keep pharmacies afloat.
Read more: Well launches ‘non-core’ branch-axing programme amid £14m loss
The economic review of the pharmacy sector, which was finally published last week, found that “around 47% of pharmacies were not profitable in their last accounting year” – with 99% “not sustainable in the long-run” and 78% “unsustainable in the short-run”.
Meanwhile, financial accounts from Well Pharmacy last week revealed plans to identify and dispose of pharmacies that are “non-core” to the business having already shed around 50 branches in a year.
And Morrisons announced that it is set to close four of its pharmacies following a “wide-ranging review”, while Tesco told C+D in February that it plans to close 10 in-store pharmacies “later this year.
