A new survey has revealed that as many as 63% of community pharmacies in England could close within the next year unless urgent financial support is provided.
The study, carried out by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and Community Pharmacy England (CPE), found that four in ten pharmacies are already struggling to cover the full cost of prescription medication for patients.
Pharmacy leaders have warned that the sector is still teetering on the brink despite an increase in government funding earlier this year.
Graham Jones, a pharmacist in Lambourn, Berkshire, highlighted the severity of the crisis, stating that his county had suffered the highest number of closures nationwide. He said there had been no income uplift since 2018, adding: “That is a one-third cut in our funding, so it’s made pharmacy a very difficult thing to operate. We are losing pharmacies at the rate of 10 a month.”
Ashley Cohen, pharmacist and board member of the NPA, echoed these concerns. He said the findings reflected “a decade of underfunding,” stressing that many community pharmacies had been “clinging on by their fingernails” amid rising costs and inflation. He warned: “We need to invest in the pharmacies now, or pay the price later – that’s the real choice we’ve got at the moment.”
According to industry figures, about 90% of an average pharmacy’s funding comes from the NHS to support core services such as dispensing prescriptions and vaccination programmes. However, cuts over recent years, combined with stagnant funding levels, have left many pharmacies financially vulnerable.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson responded by insisting the government was addressing the problem, stating: “This year we increased funding to community pharmacies to almost £3.1 billion – representing the largest uplift in funding of any part of the NHS for 2025/2026 – providing patients with more services closer to home and freeing up GP appointments.”
Despite the announcement, pharmacy leaders argue the measures fall far short of what is needed to safeguard the sector’s future, warning that widespread closures would put additional pressure on GP surgeries and hospitals.
