The number of pharmacies operating online has grown substantially since 2009/10. In 2023/24 there were 409 distance selling pharmacies.
Dispensing numbers
In 2023/24, there were over 1.1 billion prescription items dispensed at community pharmacies in England. The number of prescriptions dispensed has increased over the last 10 years. Over 3,000 pharmacies dispensed an average of over ten thousand items a month in 2023/24, while the average number of items dispensed per month per pharmacy was approximately 7,100 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 355 million, followed by drugs for the central nervous system, which had approximately 231 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 2023/24
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NHSBSA. (October 10, 2024). Number of distance selling pharmacies in England from 2008/09 to 2023/24 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 19, 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 2023/24." Chart. October 10, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 19, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/418249/distance-selling-pharmacies-in-england/
NHSBSA. (2024). Number of distance selling pharmacies in England from 2008/09 to 2023/24. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 19, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/418249/distance-selling-pharmacies-in-england/
NHSBSA. "Number of Distance Selling Pharmacies in England from 2008/09 to 2023/24." Statista, Statista Inc., 10 Oct 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/418249/distance-selling-pharmacies-in-england/
NHSBSA, Number of distance selling pharmacies in England from 2008/09 to 2023/24 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/418249/distance-selling-pharmacies-in-england/ (last visited December 19, 2024)
Number of distance selling pharmacies in England from 2008/09 to 2023/24 [Graph], NHSBSA, October 10, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/418249/distance-selling-pharmacies-in-england/
