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<p>The below table shows the total number of community pharmacies that have closed
and opened in rural areas in England, as defined by the Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs’ <em>Guide to applying the Rural Urban Classification to data</em>,
each year from 2019 to 2023:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Number
of rural pharmacies closed</p></td><td><p>Number of rural pharmacies opened</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>8</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2022</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2023</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>8</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Community pharmacies
are private businesses, contracted to provide National Health Service pharmaceutical
services. My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is
responsible for ensuring that patients can access medicines, and the Department is
monitoring changes to the market closely. In areas where there are fewer pharmacies,
the Pharmacy Access Scheme provides financial support to the pharmacies that are present.</p><p>Every
three years, local authorities in England undertake pharmaceutical needs assessments
for their areas, to ensure provision continues to meet their population’s needs. Integrated
care boards have regard to those assessments when commissioning services, and where
a pharmacy closure impacts access to services, a new contractor can apply to open
a pharmacy in the area.</p><p>When a local pharmacy closes, patients can choose to
access pharmaceutical services through any alternative pharmacy, including any of
the over 400 distance selling pharmacies that are required to deliver medicines to
patients free of charge. In some rural areas, doctors are permitted to dispense medicines.</p>
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