The number of pharmacies is at its lowest level in nearly 20 years, with seven closed each week so far this year, industry leaders warn.
More than 1,500 branches have closed in England since 2015, leaving just 10,054 open, according to analysis by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA).
If this continues, the numbers could fall below 10,000 for the first time since 2005, when there were 9,872.
The workload has increased dramatically in recent decades, with pharmacies now issuing 56 percent more prescriptions than in 2006.
Local pharmacies are threatened by increasing workloads and the rise of online pharmacies
But the trade association warns that rising drug costs, combined with a 40 percent budget cut, are making many drugs unviable.
The organization is urging Health Minister Wes Streeting to do more to prevent closures and reduced opening hours.
Paul Rees, NPA Chief Executive, said: ‘In 2005, YouTube was launched, McFly was number one in the charts and George W Bush was inaugurated for his second term as US President.
‘Now is not the time to allow a key part of the NHS’s local service to decline to levels not seen since the rise of social media.
“This is a critical opportunity to end closures and invest in community pharmacies that provide prescriptions, clinical services and health support to neighborhoods across the country.
‘If we prevent the continued collapse of community pharmacy, we can reduce waiting times for GPs, provide better immediate care for patients and keep access to the NHS open.’
The government said pharmacies have been ‘neglected’ for years
A separate analysis of pharmacy opening hours by the NPA found that 63 percent of pharmacies have shortened their opening hours since 2015, while only 2.5 percent have extended their opening hours over the same period.
According to the NPA, pharmacies were open an average of 54.2 hours per week in 2015, compared to 48.1 hours in 2024.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘This Government inherited a broken NHS and pharmacies have been neglected for years.
‘We are closely monitoring the closures.
‘Pharmacies play a key role in our plans to future-proof healthcare as we shift the focus of the NHS from hospitals to the community.
‘We will expand the role of pharmacies by making better use of the skills of pharmacists, including by accelerating the rollout of independent prescribing.