Disproportionately low pharmacy provision and over-reliance on one pharmacy group could put rural areas at risk of becoming a 'pharmacy desert', the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has warned.

And above-average levels of closures in deprived areas risk widening health inequalities, the association added.

In new analysis published today, the NPA found that 87% of local council in England have seen one or more pharmacies close in their area in the last two years.

And the majority of areas with high rates of pharmacy closures are also some of the more deprived areas in England.

West Berkshire, the area with the lowest provision in the country, has over four times fewer pharmacies than Westminster per 100,000 of the population, the area with the highest provision, the NPA said.

Plymouth has seen the highest number of pharmacy closures, losing 3.1 pharmacies per 100,000 population since 2022/23, while York and Cheshire East lost three per 100,000 population, Liverpool lost 2.9 and Darlington and Wakefield lost 2.8.

The NPA suggested that 'many rural areas could risk being left with little or no pharmacy provision at all without urgent action from the government, potentially forcing vulnerable or older residents to travel long distances to get hold of vital medication or treatment'.

'A number of rural areas are reliant on one or two providers, with these areas particularly vulnerable to the impact of closures,' it warned.

'If a particular pharmacy company closes then all the pharmacies in a specific area could close down leading to the creation of a "pharmacy desert".'

Paul Rees, NPA chief executive, said continuing closures would create 'a material threat to the security of medicine supply in some areas'.

He noted that higher levels of pharmacy closures in deprived council areas had 'undermined government efforts to tackle health inequalities after the pandemic'.

Mr Rees added: 'The government needs to act now to stabilise the pharmacy network and lay out a routemap for a properly funded future or they will put the supply of medicine to some areas at risk.

'Ministers must provide pharmacies with a new deal to fix the current broken contract now. This will halt the closures and allow pharmacies to deliver first class accessible healthcare on people’s doorsteps.'

Janet Morrison, chief executive of Community Pharmacy England, said there had been 'simply too many' pharmacy closures as the financial and operational pressures on the sector 'are becoming unbearable'.

'Pharmacy owners don’t want to close their businesses, but without sustainable funding, many have no choice,' she said.

'This analysis is yet another clear warning sign to the government and the NHS that things cannot continue like this: they need to prevent further closures by investing in community pharmacies and offering a sustainable funding model.

'Without this, patients, especially the most vulnerable, will find it increasingly difficult to access essential medications and healthcare services.'

Negotiations on the already-delayed 2024/25 'interim' community pharmacy contract were not expected to resume before September 2024, while a new longer-term deal is expected to commence from April 2025.

Councillor David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, said the loss of pharmacies 'could leave gaps in high streets that may never be filled'.

'Councils want every local area to have a strong community pharmacy network, particularly those in deprived areas with the greatest health needs, or rural communities with the furthest distance to travel,' he said.

'People rely on their local pharmacy not just as a place to get medicines, but as somewhere they can go to for informal health advice and information.

'If this lifeline was removed, it would mean more people having to potentially travel longer distances to GP surgeries and adding to existing pressures.'

A government spokesperson said the Department of Health and Social Care was closely monitoring both temporary and permanent pharmacy closures.

They said: 'This government inherited a broken NHS and pharmacies have 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.'

In the lead up to the general election, now health secretary Wes Streeting pledged an 'increased proportion' of health spending on primary care, while the Labour government has committed to creating a Community Pharmacist Prescribing Service.

The NPA's warning follows recent analysis by The Pharmacist that found that the most deprived areas in England lost nearly five times as many community pharmacy premises as the least deprived areas in the last five years.

And pharmacy closures in deprived and rural areas may be increasing the impact of digital divides, exacerbating health inequalities for those who are less likely to access online services, The Pharmacist's analysis suggested.