The total full-time equivalent (FTE) community pharmacy workforce has fallen by 6% in a year period, despite the overall number of pharmacists remaining ‘almost constant’, latest results from NHS England’s Community Workforce Survey 2022 has shown.

Vacancy rates among pharmacists are up 16%, with indications that locum pharmacists are being used more and working fewer hours on average.

And between autumn 2021, when the last survey was conducted, and autumn 2022, of which these results are based, there was a 37% increase in the reported number of independent prescribers (IPs) working in community pharmacy.

Across all roles combined, the survey showed a 6% decrease in the community pharmacy workforce, with the number of FTE pharmacists working in community pharmacy decreasing by 2,411, from 20,255 in 2021 to 17,844 in 2022.

However, the total head count of community pharmacists has remained 'almost constant' between 2021 and 2022, NHS England (NHSE) said, indicating that pharmacists are working fewer hours in a community setting.

The survey suggested a potential shift in skills mix, with a slight growth in the number of pharmacy technicians working as accuracy checkers, from 2,368 in 2021 to 2,525 in 2022.

And while there was an increase in the number of trainee dispensing assistants and medicines counter assistants, the survey suggested a reduction in the numbers of foundation pharmacists and pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians.

The head count of pre-registration pharmacy technicians working in community pharmacy decreased from 957 in autumn 2021, to 793 in autumn 2022.

And the number of foundation pharmacists in community pharmacy decreased by 130 between autumn 2021 and autumn 2022, from 1,583 to 1,453.

The number of respondents to the survey almost doubled in 2022, with 95% of pharmacy contractors completing it, compared to 47% in 2021. In 2022 completing the survey was mandatory.

The 2022 survey results were released by NHSE today, following the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan released earlier this year in June. The 2021 survey results were released earlier in the year, with the findings from the autumn snapshot available in January 2022.

Another snapshot survey is due to be undertaken soon in autumn 2023.

NHSE said that the insights provided by the survey were being used to inform future investment in education, training and workforce planning across all sectors of pharmacy, including its ongoing review of the impact of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) and planning for multidisciplinary roles in the future.

Alan Ryan, national director of education at NHSE, said: ‘Healthcare systems require high quality and transparent workforce data to plan and deliver safe care, improve patient outcomes, and inform staff training and development.

‘Following the publication of the first ever NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, the findings of the Community Pharmacy Workforce Survey are more important than ever.

‘The new requirement for a mandatory survey recognises the priority the NHS places on the community pharmacy workforce, and the importance of collecting consistent, accurate data to support effective workforce planning across primary care.

‘A wide range of work is being carried out by NHS England to develop the pharmacy professionals and the wider team members across all sectors of pharmacy. These emerging annual data sets will not only inform that work but will also help employers and workforce leads in Integrated Care Boards to build a picture of the whole pharmacy workforce in their locality.’

Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the Company Chemists' Association (CCA) welcomed the publication of the results, but warned that since it was gathered 10 months ago the data could already be out of date.

'Since the autumn of 2022 the situation in community pharmacy has continued to develop. Future surveys will need to be processed and published more quickly if they are to be used to inform accurate decision making,' he said.

And he added that 'immediate action' needed to be taken to address growing pharmacist vacancy rates.

The CCA also raised concerns that the 37% increase in the number of IPs 'does not reflect the whole picture'.

Mr Harrison said: 'The 37% increase only represents an increase in 1.6% of the total community pharmacist workforce, growing from 4.2% to 5.8%. We want 95% of community pharmacists to be prescribers by 2030. There is still a long way to go before the public can expect to find a prescriber in every pharmacy.'