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Online job advertisements for pharmacists across the UK fell by an average of 16% over the past year, an analysis by The Pharmaceutical Journal has shown.
The analysis of Office for National Statistics (ONS) data revealed that between October 2023 and September 2024, 26,639 online job advertisements were posted seeking pharmacists across the UK, while between October 2024 and September 2025, the figure dropped to 22,325 advertisements — a 16.2% reduction.
In November 2024, The Pharmaceutical Journal reported that the number of online job advertisements for pharmacist roles in England, Wales and Scotland fell from 5,625 advertisements in the second quarter of 2023 to 4,460 advertisements in the second quarter of 2024 — a decrease of 21%.
The most recent ONS data also shows that from October 2024 to September 2025, the biggest regional drop in online advertisements was seen in Yorkshire and the Humber, with a 22.4% decrease — from 1,918 advertisements in 2023/2024 to 1,489 advertisements in 2024/2025. The smallest decrease in online advertisements was observed in the south west of England, where the number of advertisements dropped by 1.8% from 2,336 advertisements in 2023/2024 to 2,293 advertisements in 2024/2025.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland saw a jump in the number of advertisements seeking a pharmacist — from 240 advertisements in 2023/2024 to 306 advertisements in 2024/2025. While this is an increase of 27.5%, Northern Ireland has a much lower number of advertisements than any other region in the ONS’s dataset, the analysis found.
NHS England’s most recent community pharmacy workforce survey, published in June 2025, showed a 5% increase in the community pharmacist headcount — from 27,487 advertisements in 2023 to 28,763 advertisements in 2024. There was also a 12% decrease in the full-time equivalent (FTE) vacancy rate over the same period.
The survey data also revealed a reduction in the FTE locum pharmacist workforce, which dropped by 12% from 6,073 advertisements in 2023 to 5,372 advertisements in 2024.
The reduction in job advertisement numbers align with ongoing reports of pharmacy closures. In an analysis of NHS data on pharmacy closures in England, published on 24 October 2025, the National Pharmacy Association found that England’s pharmacy network was “at its smallest for 20 years”.
In addition, a study published in BMJ Open on 11 May 2025 reported that between 2014 and 2023, there was a 11.8% reduction in pharmacies in the most deprived areas of England, compared with a 3.0% reduction in the least deprived areas.
Ahead of the May 2026 Senedd elections, Community Pharmacy Wales (CPW) has called upon the next Welsh government to agree to a new community pharmacy funding formula.
“Without reform, the viability of the community pharmacy network will continue to be at risk and further closures or reductions in opening hours, could leave communities without vital healthcare access,” CPW said.
