Pharmacy closures in Dorset could accelerate unless changes are made to recruitment and to ensure an adequate supply of affordable housing in the county.

Chief Executive of the NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board, Patricia Miller, has said that affordable homes have become a key factor in attracting pharmacists to vacant positions, as are good schools.

A similar situation was reported earlier in the year for recruiting young dentists who, it was claimed, now struggle to afford to move to either rural Dorset or the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council area.

Ms Miller said that, like other health professions, there is now a national shortage of pharmacists, making competition for them more intense.

She said that nationally, steps were being taken to allow pharmacy technicians to dispense with ways to improve recruitment and training also being examined – but both, even if agreed, would take some time.

Her comments came after a report to the Dorset Health and Wellbeing Board, which reported a series of pharmacy closures, mainly involving the Lloyds group, which were selling or closing, many of its branches, including those operated within Sainsbury's supermarkets. 

The meeting also heard that there had been multiple incidents of other pharmacies, particularly Boots, having to close for short periods because of a pharmacist not being able to work.

Consultant in public health, Jane Horne, told the meeting that since the last report on Dorset pharmacies in October, three had closed in the BCP area, two in the Dorset Council area had changed ownership, with a further change in the pipeline for one former Lloyds pharmacy.

"It is not yet clear whether we can expect further closures or changes of ownership, as Lloyds may continue to review the need for their remaining pharmacies," said Ms Horne.

She said that the last county-wide Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment, carried out in 2022, identified 142 community pharmacies across Dorset, 74 in the BCP Council area and 68 in the Dorset Council area, with two distance selling pharmacies.

The number and locations, at the time, were considered adequate for Dorset with most people within a 20 minute drive of pharmacy services, including some rural GP practices, which also dispensed medicines.

The pharmacies which have closed are: Lloyds in Sainsbury's at 1 Lyndhurst Road, Christchurch, which was a 100-hour pharmacy; Lloyds in Sainsbury's at Castlepoint, Bournemouth, which was a 40-hour pharmacy, and Lloyds in Sainsbury's at Talbot Heath, Poole, which was a 40-hour pharmacy.

Pharmacies which have changed ownership include: Frederick Treves House, St Johns Way, Poundbury, Dorchester, where Aunpharma took over the ownership from Rowlands pharmacy and is now trading name as Poundbury Pharmacy; and the pharmacy at 26 Abbotsbury Road, Weymouth, where Weymouth Pharma took over the ownership from Boots, now trading as Weymouth Pharmacy.