[Assorted medicine that is available at pharmacies. Photo credit: Pixabay]

According to the most recent National Health Service (NHS) data, nearly 800 pharmacies in England have permanently closed  over the past four years, with pharmacists attributing the closures to the NHS for not increasing funding in real terms in ten years. 

Since 2023, the two largest high pharmacy chains, Lloyds Pharmacy and Boots, have shut down hundreds of locations nationwide. 

Earlier this year, Lloyds sold all 1,054 of its branches as part of its liquidation filing.

In many areas, independent pharmacies have taken over to fill the gap.

Funding cuts, staffing shortages, and general medicine access issues are the biggest issues plaguing pharmacies.

Since the NHS provides 90% of the majority of pharmacies' income, it is a serious problem if this hasn't altered in the past ten years.

Without sufficient resources, pharmacists may find it difficult to supply medications, particularly if drug costs increase. 

However,  in certain areas, problems aren't solely being caused by pharmacies closing.

The pressure on the surviving branches and shifting demography are also to blame.

Campaigners in the Wiltshire town of Amesbury report that the two remaining pharmacies that are now operating in the Wiltshire town of Amesbury are unable to satisfy the needs of the town's expanding population.

Some residents have voiced frustrations about the limited medication availability, the lengthy wait times in lines, and the waiting period. 

In actual terms, community pharmacy budgets have been reduced by 40% over the past ten years, according to the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), which advocates for independent community pharmacies.

For the first time in the organization's history, NPA members voted in favor of collective action last month and called on the government to provide an urgent increase of pharmacy financing.

Members also proposed reducing operating hours, warning that if the present low funding, drugstore closures, and growing workload continue, pharmacy owners cannot guarantee the future safety of community pharmacy services.

According to NHS data, 752 pharmacies in England closed between January 2021 and the end of November 2024, representing a 6.7% decline.

By the end of 2024, England has 10,454 pharmacy locations, including remote vendors compared to 11,206 at the beginning of 2021. 

58 pharmacies closed in England in 2021, followed by 81 in 2022, 394 in 2023, and 219 this year, according to data.

The National Pharmacy Association has warned rural areas are at risk of becoming 'pharmacy deserts', if the current rate of closures persists.

Although there are typically local pharmacies in rural regions, they sometimes do not carry all of the medications that elderly people require, so they must go to a pharmacy farther away.

In the past six months to a year, elderly people have increasingly reported that there has always been an issue when they order medication.

Seniors who are ill may find the lengthy procedure of phone calls, waiting, travel, and trips quite burdensome. 

The mental health of the old and ill has also taken a toll due to  the stress and uncertainty of having to chase after medication.

The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged  that while community pharmacies have been overlooked for years, they are essential to the reform of the health sector by moving treatment from hospitals to the community.