A recent report published by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has highlighted a significant increase in the number of registered pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, indicating the expanding role of these professionals in the UK healthcare system.
The GPhC report also notes that the overall number of pharmacies on the register, particularly in England, has been falling over the past eight years, while numbers tend to fluctuate in Scotland and Wales
As of May 31, 2024, the GPhC register recorded a total of 90,739 pharmacy professionals, up from 90,604 at the end of April 2024.
This includes 64,415 pharmacists and 26,324 pharmacy technicians, maintaining a steady split of 71 per cent pharmacists and 29 per cent pharmacy technicians.
This reflects an overall increase of four pharmacists and 131 pharmacy technicians from the previous month.
The report underscores the critical role of pharmacy professionals in ensuring high-quality patient care and supporting the operational efficiency of pharmacies.
Compared to the same period last year, the number of pharmacists increased by 1,758, marking a 2.81 per cent growth.
A notable development is the increase in pharmacists with prescribing annotations. Their numbers grew by 381 from April to May 2024, reaching a total of 19,101.
| Prescriber Annotation Type | England | Scotland | Wales | Other | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent only | 14,836 | 2,074 | 973 | 98 | 17,981 |
| Independent and supplementary | 585 | 255 | 53 | 7 | 900 |
| Supplementary only | 147 | 60 | 8 | 5 | 220 |
| Total | 15,568 | 2,389 | 1,034 | 110 | 19,101 |
This table summarises the number of pharmacists with prescribing annotation type by country of registered address as of 31 May 2024.
This represents 29.7 per cent of registered pharmacists and highlights the growing demand for pharmacists who can provide comprehensive patient care.
In terms of regional distribution, the report highlighted a rise in pharmacist registrations across all regions in the UK.
The highest number of registrations was in England (54,387), followed by Scotland (5,543) and Wales (2,762).
Pharmacy technicians also experienced substantial growth, with their numbers increasing by 3.4 per cent from 25,467 in May 2023 to 26,324 in May 2024.
However, the report also noted a slight decline in the number of registered pharmacies.
As of May 31, 2024, there were 13,272 registered pharmacies, with two removals in England, one in Scotland, and four in Wales since the previous month.
The overall number of pharmacies on the register, particularly in England, has been falling over the past eight years, although numbers tend to fluctuate in Scotland and Wales.
*The data does not reflect how many pharmacy professionals are currently working but how many are on the GPhC register.
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