The number of community pharmacists in England fell by 10% last year, new data has revealed.
According to NHS England’s (NHSE) Community Pharmacy Workforce Survey 2025, published yesterday, there were 25,822 pharmacists in 2025, compared to 28,763 the year before.
The survey has been conducted annually since 2021 to “help understand the size and make-up” of community pharmacy’s workforce and “inform future planning and investment decisions”.
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It also found that the number of locum pharmacists dropped by 10% last year, while locum pharmacy technicians increased by 48%.
Meanwhile, the country’s pharmacy technician headcount jumped almost 30% to 6,943 over the same period, and the number of independent prescribers rose to one for every five pharmacy premises.
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NHSE said the total community pharmacy workforce increased by 7%, driven in part by a 77% growth in the number of pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians.
Accuracy checkers and foundation trainee pharmacists grew by 35% and 23%, respectively, it added.
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It comes after analysis of NHS Business Services Authority figures revealed that small brick-and-mortar pharmacies in England have seen a net 2.5% growth in the last nine months.
According to the latest available data, the number of small pharmacies - those belonging to a chain of less than six premises - grew from 4,940 to 5,067 between last August and April.
