The number of pharmacies operating online has grown substantially since 2009/10. In 2022/23 there were almost 400 distance selling pharmacies. On the other hand, the number of physical pharmacies in England has been decreasing in the last few years.
Dispensing numbers
In 2022/23, there were over one billion prescription items dispensed at community pharmacies in England. The amount of prescriptions dispensed has increased over the last 10 years. Over 2,700 pharmacies dispensed an average of over ten thousand items a month in 2022/23, while the average number of items dispensed per month per pharmacy was approximately seven thousand in that year.
What is being dispensed?
The therapeutic class with the highest total of prescription items dispensed was for the cardiovascular system at some 340 million, followed by drugs for the central nervous system which had approximately 226 million items dispensed. The leading drug dispensed was atorvastatin which treats those with high cholesterol to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Number of distance selling pharmacies in England from 2008/09 to 2022/23
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NHSBSA. (October 12, 2023). Number of distance selling pharmacies in England from 2008/09 to 2022/23 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/418249/distance-selling-pharmacies-in-england/
NHSBSA. "Number of distance selling pharmacies in England from 2008/09 to 2022/23." Chart. October 12, 2023. Statista. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/418249/distance-selling-pharmacies-in-england/
NHSBSA. (2023). Number of distance selling pharmacies in England from 2008/09 to 2022/23. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/418249/distance-selling-pharmacies-in-england/
NHSBSA. "Number of Distance Selling Pharmacies in England from 2008/09 to 2022/23." Statista, Statista Inc., 12 Oct 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/418249/distance-selling-pharmacies-in-england/
NHSBSA, Number of distance selling pharmacies in England from 2008/09 to 2022/23 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/418249/distance-selling-pharmacies-in-england/ (last visited July 22, 2024)
Number of distance selling pharmacies in England from 2008/09 to 2022/23 [Graph], NHSBSA, October 12, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/418249/distance-selling-pharmacies-in-england/