Community Pharmacy Workforce Survey 2025 – results published
Community Pharmacy Workforce Survey 2025
The NHS England commissioned Community Pharmacy Workforce Survey 2025 has been published this month.
The survey provides an annual snapshot of the state of the community pharmacy workforce. It was first commissioned across England in 2017 and, from 2021, has been repeated annually. The focus is on the number of staff (head count), the number of FTE and vacancies in each of ten staff categories employed in community pharmacy.
Headline results
A 10% decrease in both the number of pharmacists and the use of locum pharmacists was reported.
There has also been a decrease in vacancy rates for pharmacists and trainee dispensing assistants, and the overall number of pharmacies has reduced.
Data from the survey compared to 2024:
- 7% increase in total workforce (FTE).
- 10% decrease in number of pharmacists (HC 25,822 compared to 28,763 in 2024).
- There has been a reduction in the average FTE pharmacist, in each pharmacy (1.66 compared to 1.79 in 2024).
- 10% decrease in use of locum pharmacists.
- The number of Independent Prescribers continues to grow; there is a ratio of 1 Independent Prescriber : 5 pharmacy premises
- 77% increase in Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technicians (933 FTE)
- The following roles all have a decrease in vacancy rates (VFTE): 13% pharmacists and 1% Trainee dispensing assistants.
- The number of pharmacies has reduced by 0.6% (10,495 compared to 10,554 in 2024)
Link to survey highlights here.
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