Almost 3.4 million hours of pharmacy access lost each year – CCA report

Access to pharmacy care has significantly declined over the past two years, particularly in the most deprived communities, due to a rising number of pharmacy
closures and reduced opening hours.

A new report released by the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) indicates a net loss of almost 64,000 pharmacy weekly opening hours between September 2022 and
June 2024, equivalent to 3.4 million hours of pharmacy access per year.

Of the total hours lost, nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) were due to pharmacy closures, while 38 per cent resulted from reduced opening hours.

According to the CCA report, England has lost over 1,200 pharmacies since 2015, largely attributed to NHS funding cuts.

Years of flat funding have also forced many businesses to reduce opening hours to ‘balance the books.’

Out of the 10,487 pharmacies that were trading in June 2024, over a quarter had reduced their opening hours in the previous 18 months.