News » England, Rurality » Rural areas saw most pharmacy closures
October 1st 2024
Rural areas are among the worst affected by pharmacy closures, new information from Healthwatch England reveals.
A new briefing on pharmacy closures in England said that rural areas, as well as those with older populations, and fewer GPs per head were the areas with the highest rates of both permanent and temporary pharmacy closures.
Using data gained from a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to all 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in England, Healthwatch found that between 1 January and 31 December 2023 more than eight pharmacies closed every week – equating to 436 permanently closed.
The most affected ICB saw 11 per cent of pharmacies close permanently, compared to just 1 per cent 13,863 instances of temporary closure were recorded. The most affected ICBs also saw some 17.48 hours of pharmacy opening hours lost due to temporary closure.
Among the reasons given for temporary pharmacy closures across England is a lack of locum pharmacists.
To reduce the impact of pharmacy closures on pharmacy users, Healthwatch England recommends a national evaluation of workforce, funding, data, and estate challenges facing pharmacy.
