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<p>The Department monitors changes to the market closely to understand patient access
to pharmaceutical services within the National Health Service. The law requires that
every three years, local authority Health and Wellbeing Boards undertake pharmaceutical
needs assessments to identify if there is a need for improvement or better access
to services in the local areas. Contractors can apply to open a pharmacy where there
is a gap or a need for improved access to services or if they can make a case for
providing other benefits to the local communities.</p><p> </p><p>When their usual
local pharmacy closes, patients can choose to access any of the remaining pharmacies
nearby. Patients can also choose to access NHS pharmaceutical services remotely through
any of the approximately 400 internet pharmacies in England, which are contractually
required to deliver medicines to patients’ home address free of charge.</p><p>There
were 10,673 pharmacies on 31 December 2023 providing NHS services in England. Access
remains good with 80% of the population living within 20 minutes walking distance
of a pharmacy and twice as many pharmacies in the most deprived areas of the country.</p>
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