Industry Analysis & Industry Trends
Dispensing chemists (also known as retail pharmacies or community pharmacies) play an important role in UK society through the distribution of prescription and National Health Service medicines, the sale of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, and the provision of professional advice and basic medical testing. As such, they play a primary role in the United Kingdom's health-care system. To dispense NHS prescriptions, a pharmacy must have a contract with its local Primary Care Trust (PCT). In 2008-09, the United Kingdom's 10,400 odd pharmacies dispensed over 915 million prescriptions. Over the past decade there has been sustained growth in dispensing volumes, a trend that is expected to continue through the next decade... purchase to read more
Industry Report - Industry Locations Chapter
The United Kingdom is well served by pharmacies on a geographic basis, with most of its population living within a short distance of one. In Great Britain, over three-quarters of the population is expected to have a pharmacy within one kilometre of their residence. In the early 2000s, the Office of Fair Trading found that England has 5,000 people for every NHS contractor pharmacy, compared with 4,400 people per pharmacy in Scotland, 4,100 people for Wales and 3,300 people in Northern Ireland. For the United Kingdom as a whole, the average was one NHS contractor pharmacy per 4,800 people. In England in 2010-11, there were 21 pharmacies per 100,000 people, or 4,730 people per pharmacy... purchase to read more