October 27th 2025

By Ailsa Colquhoun

Unforeseen benefits provision behind one new rural pharmacy

The 'unforeseen benefits' provision was used in 2024-25 to open one rural pharmacy, new pharmacy network figures for the year show.

In total during the year, there were five applications to open pharmacies in controlled areas, including one using the 'future need in the PNA (regulation 15)' provision. However, four were unsuccessful.

At 31 March 2025, the data shows a network of 11,098 pharmacies, a decline of 911 (-7.6%) on the same date in 2024.  

Operational pharmacies dispensed 1.16 billion prescription items - a 4% increase from 2023-24. Some 1.13 billion prescription items were dispensed via the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) - or 97 per cent of all items dispensed, and a less than 1 per cent increase from 2023-24.

The cost of drugs and appliances reimbursed totalled £10.4 billion - this was a 2 per cent increase from 2023-24.