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In 2023, there were approximately 80 thousand employed and self-employed pharmacists in the United Kingdom (UK). The number of pharmacists in employment in the UK has fluctuated since 2010, but has increased by a net of more than 30 thousand since the beginning of the provided time interval.

Number of pharmacies

Since 2006, the number of community pharmacies in England first increased, culminating in a total of roughly 12 thousand community pharmacies in 2017/18. However, since then, the number decreased slowly but steadily to around 11,400 in 2022/2023.

Dispensing numbers

In 2022/23, there were some 1.08 billion prescription items dispensed from pharmacies in England. The number of prescriptions has slightly increased over the last three years. Over 2,700 English pharmacies dispensed an average of over ten thousand items a month in 2022/23 and the average number of items dispensed per month per pharmacy was approximately seven thousand in that year.

Annual number of pharmacists in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2010 to 2023 (in 1,000s)

Characteristic	Number of pharmacists in thousands
2023	80
2022	72.3
2021	67
2020	66.6
2019	62.8
2018	65
2017	54.9
2016	58.8
2015	57.2
2014	52.4
2013	49.7
2012	52.9
2011	54
2010	46.7

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Release date

2023

More information

Region

United Kingdom

Survey time period

2010 to 2022

Special properties

UK households

Supplementary notes

Numbers rounded to the nearest thousand. Figures are for business years from April to March of each year (example: value for 2015 means business year from April 2014 to March 2015.

Annual population survey data relating to employees and self-employed health professionals by occupation group (based on Standard Occupation Classification 2010, code 2213).

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