Search for pharmacy jobs within 10 miles of Derby city centre and PharmSee returns just three results — one each from Superdrug, NHS Jobs, and Asda. That makes Derby the quietest pharmacy job market of any major English city PharmSee tracks, and the contrast with nearby cities is stark.
The numbers in context
PharmSee's 15-mile radius vacancy search across 10 English cities tells the story:
| City | Active vacancies | Hiring sources |
|---|---|---|
| London EC1A | 113 | 6 |
| Leeds LS1 | 59 | 8 |
| Manchester M1 | 42 | 7 |
| Liverpool L1 | 42 | 6 |
| Newcastle NE1 | 36 | 4 |
| Bristol BS1 | 35 | 6 |
| Birmingham B1 | 27 | 4 |
| Sheffield S1 | 27 | 6 |
| Wolverhampton WV1 | 23 | 4 |
| Nottingham NG1 | 23 | 6 |
| Derby DE1 (10mi) | 3 | 3 |
Derby's three vacancies stand out not just for the low count but for the absence of the largest chain employers. The national chain with 542 active vacancies nationwide has none within 10 miles of Derby. Neither do Cohens, Rowlands, Weldricks, Well, Day Lewis, Morrisons, or Tesco — despite Tesco having 43 open pharmacy roles nationally and a Lincoln branch just 35 miles away.
A well-supplied pharmacy landscape
Derby's low vacancy count does not mean the city lacks pharmacies. PharmSee's location analysis for DE1 1AA at a 3-mile radius finds 53 GP practices and 59 community pharmacies — a GP-to-pharmacy ratio of 0.90:1. That ratio indicates a well-served market where pharmacy provision comfortably matches or exceeds primary care demand.
For comparison, the same 3-mile analysis across PharmSee's city atlas:
| City | GP practices | Pharmacies | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolverhampton WV1 | 89 | 67 | 1.33:1 |
| Leicester LE1 | 115 | 94 | 1.22:1 |
| Birmingham B1 | 156 | 142 | 1.10:1 |
| Derby DE1 | 53 | 59 | 0.90:1 |
Derby is one of the few English cities where pharmacies outnumber GP practices within the 3-mile urban ring. In a market this well-supplied, the low vacancy count may simply reflect low turnover — existing branches are staffed, and few positions are opening up.
What low vacancies might mean
A pharmacy job desert is not necessarily a bad sign for the pharmacies already operating there. Several factors could explain Derby's quiet listings:
Stable workforce. If Derby's pharmacists and dispensers stay in their roles longer than the national average, fewer vacancies arise. In a city with relatively affordable housing and a 0.90:1 pharmacy-to-GP ratio, the economics of community pharmacy may be more sustainable than in cities where high rents squeeze margins.
Independent-heavy market. PharmSee's branch-level data suggests Derby's pharmacy landscape includes a significant independent share. Independent pharmacies often recruit through local networks, word of mouth, and direct approaches rather than national job boards — meaning vacancies exist but are invisible to PharmSee's tracked sources.
Proximity to Nottingham. Nottingham NG1, just 15 miles east, shows 23 vacancies from 6 sources. Some Derby-based pharmacists may commute to Nottingham roles, and some Nottingham-radius searches may capture Derby-edge branches. The two cities' labour markets partially overlap.
For job seekers: what to do
If you are specifically targeting Derby, the three listed vacancies are your starting point — check PharmSee's job search for current availability. But the real Derby pharmacy market is likely larger than these three listings suggest.
Contact independent pharmacies directly. Derby's well-supplied pharmacy landscape means there are approximately 59 community pharmacies within 3 miles of the city centre, many of which will be independently owned. These branches recruit through channels PharmSee does not track — local LPC networks, pharmacy WhatsApp groups, and direct approaches.
For salary benchmarking, PharmSee's salary guides cover the East Midlands region. Nottingham's larger vacancy pool provides a useful comparison market for the broader area.
Data sources: PharmSee job tracker (3 active Derby vacancies within 10 miles as of April 2026); PharmSee location analysis (53 GP practices, 59 pharmacies within 3 miles of DE1 1AA).