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A recent survey conducted by YouGov for the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has highlighted concerning trends in the community pharmacy sector. The survey published on July 18 and conducted over two days in June this year reveals the subsequent challenges patients face due to the increasing pharmacy closure rates. The survey findings, conducted among 2,183 UK adults, indicates that 18 per cent of the respondents reported at least one pharmacy closure in their local area within the past year. Specifically, 12 per cent respondents noted closure of one pharmacy, while 6 per cent observed the shutdown of more than one. These closures are distributed across various regions, underscoring a nationwide issue rather than an isolated one.

The UK has witnessed a nearly 50 percent increase in pharmacy closures this year compared to the same period in 2023, which was already considered the worst year in recent memory. A new analysis by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) revealed that 177 pharmacies closed their doors between January and April 2024, compared to 116 in the same period last year. This is the equivalent of 10 local pharmacies shutting down every week. Analysis of NHS figures by the NPA showed that 403 pharmacies closed their doors last year, nearly five times higher than the number that closed in 2022. Since 2017, over 1,400 pharmacies have shut down across the UK. Rising costs and declining real terms funding have led to the fastest rate of closures in decades, said the NPA, highlighting that "real terms funding has decreased by 40 per cent over the last decade."