Pharmacy provision among lowest in the country

The National Pharmacy Association analysed NHS figures on pharmaceutical provision

Parts of Berkshire are among those with the lowest provision of pharmacies in the country, analysis has shown.

West Berkshire, Wokingham and Bracknell Forest council areas are all in the bottom five council areas with the least number of pharmacies per 100,000 people, according to the National Pharmacy Association (NPA)

It warned rural areas in England were at risk of becoming "pharmacy deserts".

The association analysed NHS figures on pharmaceutical provision and found 17 of the 20 council areas with the lowest number of pharmacies per 100,000 people were in rural locations.

West Berkshire's numbers fell from 12.4 to 9.9 pharmacies per 100,000 people between 2022 and 2024.

The area has four times fewer pharmacies than Westminster, which has the highest number.

Wokingham has 11.8 pharmacies per 100,000 people while Bracknell Forest had 12.7.

Oxfordshire had the sixth lowest provision, with 13.8 pharmacies per 100,000 people.

More deprived council areas also had the highest level of closures in the last two years, the association found.

'Shocking statistics'

It urged the Government to "lay out a route map for a properly funded future" for the sector.

NPA chief executive Paul Rees said: "These shocking statistics show how a growing number of areas are at risk of becoming pharmacy deserts, with people in rural towns and villages having to travel longer and longer distances to get hold of the medication they need.

"Many pharmacies are on the brink because of a decade of real-term cuts, creating a material threat to the security of medicine supply in some areas if closures continue."

The NPA analysis also found one or more pharmacies have closed in 87% of council areas in England in the last two years.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said pharmacies had been "neglected for years".

“Pharmacies are key to our plans to make healthcare fit for the future as we shift the focus of the NHS out of hospitals and into the community.

"We will make better use of pharmacists’ skills, including rolling out independent prescribing to improve access to care," they added.