The National Pharmacy Association has accused the NHS Business Services Authority of painting an “incorrect and misleading picture of the shocking fall in pharmacy numbers” after its report published today claimed the number of community pharmacies is on the increase.

Reacting to NHSBSA’s claim that its data showed there were 12,009 active community pharmacies in 2023-24, 595 more than in 2022-23 and the highest since 2015-16, the NPA said pharmacy numbers had “dropped substantially this year.”

It claimed the NHSBSA double counted pharmacies and included “pharmacies that have shut their doors during the year due to chronic underfunding” in its figures.

Insisting NHSBSA’s data contradicted its own monthly pharmacy numbers, the NPA said the “network in England” is “at its smallest for nearly 20 years.”

“Everyone knows the community pharmacy network is at crisis point due to the impact of rising workload pressures coupled with 10 years of government cuts,” it said.

“It's important everyone recognises the true extent of the decline in the pharmacy network and works together to provide a new deal for community pharmacy which will end the closures and expand the role pharmacy can play."

The Company Chemists' Association also cautioned against relying on the NHSBSA's data.

CCA chief executive Malcolm Harrison said: "These figures reflect the number of pharmacy owners in 2023/-24 as opposed to actual open pharmacies. In effect, every time the ownership of a pharmacy changed hands, this method of counting would register two contractors for the year.

"NHSBSA data shows there were only 10,519 pharmacies open and trading as of 31^st March 2024. The Darzi review and even the Government’s own analysis highlights the alarming scale of closures to date."