Pharmacy shortages in rural Dorset spark calls for action on access
Dorset councillors have raised concerns with the number of pharmacies that are actually accessible to residents
Dorset councillors have warned that outdated criteria are masking serious problems in pharmacy provision, particularly in rural communities where closures and reduced opening hours are leaving residents without reliable access to vital medication.
At a meeting of Dorset Council’s Health and Wellbeing Board, members voiced concern that the official measure of adequacy - whether a pharmacy can be reached within 20 minutes by car - fails to reflect the lived reality for many residents.
With large numbers of households in the county without access to a vehicle and limited rural bus services, councillors said the system overlooks some of the people most reliant on local provision.
Committee chair Cllr Steve Robinson said that while national assessments suggest Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) have an “adequate” number of pharmacies, “the issue is often that people who need the services the most don’t have a car”.
He added that growing numbers of residents are voicing frustration over the closure of branches and the lack of evening or weekend opening hours.
Recruitment difficulties were cited as a particular challenge in rural areas, where posts often remain unfilled.
The Health and Wellbeing Board and the county’s Integrated Care Board are now considering further investigation into the issue.
Cllr Gill Taylor said the situation highlighted the need for action: “This is exactly the sort of issue we should be picking up on… it’s a topic which causes a lot of residents to come to us.”
The discussion came as councillors reviewed the county’s Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA), a statutory document updated every three years.
The draft report records 132 community pharmacies across Dorset, evenly split between BCP and Dorset Council areas,
It concludes there is “appropriate provision for the population” and no current or future gaps.
However, it does acknowledges that medicine shortages, temporary closures, and staffing pressures continue to affect access, particularly in rural areas with older populations and fewer GPs.
A survey of more than 900 people by Healthwatch Dorset found that 38% had experienced problems obtaining medication, while 7% of respondents with disabilities said they were not receiving the reasonable adjustments they needed.
Campaigners and councillors argue that without changes to how pharmacy provision is measured, the challenges faced by Dorset’s most vulnerable residents will remain hidden.