Mr Mowat lost to the Labour party's Faisal Rashid, who secured 29,994 votes – more than 2,500 above Mr Mowat’s 27,445 votes, according to election data.

Despite no longer being an MP, Mr Mowat will officially retain his pharmacy brief until a new minister is appointed, the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) said in a statement this morning.

Mr Mowat was first elected in 2010 and again in 2015, and gained the pharmacy minister role in July 2016 after Alistair Burt’s shock resignation.

Mr Mowat oversaw the implementation of the controversial pharmacy funding cuts in England. In February, he told the Avicenna conference that he hoped the sector could "get that behind us" and "work together on a much more clinically-focused, services-orientated community pharmacy profession".

National Pharmacy Association (NPA) chairman Ian Strachan said this is "a change moment for pharmacy".

"A change of pharmacy minister is yet another good reason for fresh thinking in government about pharmacy policy. New people and new relationships can lead to new ideas and new outcomes."

The Twitter reaction

Failed pharmacy minister @mowat4ws out! Poetic justice for his terrible handling of community pharmacy 'reforms'.

— Mike Hewitson (@MikeHewitson1) June 9, 2017

Don't know about you guys, but I'm rather pleased to see David Mowat lose his seat #pharmacycuts

— Andrea James (@HealthRegLawyer) June 9, 2017

David Mowat MP, most controversial pharm minister of recent years, loses seat. As if 2017 didn't have enough surprises for sector #GE2017

— James Waldron (@CandDJamesW) June 9, 2017

Mowat out !!! Pharmacy will NOT miss him.

— Bharat Patel (@Bharat336) June 9, 2017

I am sure the people of Warrington South voted out @mowat4ws for their own good reasons. I have another good reason to add. #pharmacycuts

— Steve Churton (@SteveChurton) June 9, 2017

Former #pharmacy minister David Mowat @mowat4ws ousted in #GE2017 - so yet another ministerial shake up in store for community pharmacy..

— Lilian Anekwe (@CandDLilian) June 9, 2017

Key quotes from Mr Mowat’s time as pharmacy minister

“Everyone will know that it’s been a challenging few months, and I do know the government [funding] reforms have caused some concern.” Read more here

“[The government] fully understands the difference between pharmacists working in GP practices and in the community pharmacy network”. Read more here

“I am always keen to be popular, but I am also keen to do the right thing. Nobody is talking about thousands of pharmacies closing and I do not believe that will happen.” Read more here

Mr Mowat was ranked number 27 by readers in C+D's rundown of the 50 most influential individuals in community pharmacy last month. View the full results here.