The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 274 No 7335 p136
5 February 2005

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Community pharmacy numbers stable for past 10 years

The number of community pharmacies in England and Wales with NHS dispensing contracts has changed little over the past 10 years, having fallen from 10,486 in 1994–95 to 10,462 in 2003–04.

The latest Department of Health statistics on pharmaceutical services show that the inexorable rise of the multiples is continuing. In 2003–04 a 2 per cent increase in the number of pharmacies in groups of five or more saw the total in multiple ownership rise from 52 per cent to 53 per cent. Ten years ago, only 33.6 per cent of pharmacies were in multiple ownership.

Although pharmacy numbers have changed little over the past 10 years, dispensing workload has risen by 41.7 per cent.