Official datasets
- NHS Business Services Authority, Consolidated Pharmaceutical List / Contractor Details (May 2026). The list of NHS pharmacy contractors: names, addresses, phone numbers, ODS codes, contract type (including distance selling) and local authority.
- NHS website pharmacy profiles. Opening hours, service categories and accessibility facilities published on each pharmacy’s profile. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- NHS Organisation Data Service (epraccur), October 2026. Active GP practices, used for the nearby GP surgeries on each pharmacy page.
- Office for National Statistics, Census 2021 and mid-2021 population estimates. Population figures used on some town pages and in our pharmacy closures report.
- NHS Business Services Authority, Pharmacy and appliance contractor dispensing data (January 2023 and June 2026). Used to compare pharmacy numbers over time in our pharmacy closures report.
- GOV.UK bank holidays (England and Wales). Christmas and New Year dates on our Christmas pages, checked on 16 October 2026.
- NHS website pharmacy profiles, bank holiday opening. What each pharmacy’s profile showed for the summer bank holiday (31 August 2026), shown on our Christmas pages.
Our own checks
Our researcher checked every pharmacy, one by one, against its NHS website profile, its own website and other public listings. We did not visit or phone pharmacies. See our methodology for how this information is used.
Counties and towns
Each pharmacy is placed in its ceremonial county using the local authority recorded by the NHS Business Services Authority. Metropolitan boroughs such as Bury and Bolton are listed under Greater Manchester. Where no local authority is recorded, the county of other pharmacies in the same postcode district is used.