PharmSee aggregates pharmacy job listings from 11 public sources, capturing 1,380 active vacancies as of April 2026. This page explains where the data comes from, what each source covers, and what is not included — so that you can interpret the numbers with appropriate context.
The 11 sources
| Source | Active listings | What it covers | Salary disclosed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boots | 542 | Community pharmacy roles across England, Scotland, Wales | No |
| NHS Jobs | 512 | Hospital, trust, PCN, and public sector pharmacy roles | Yes — AfC bands |
| Cohens | 65 | Regional chain concentrated in Greater Manchester and Bolton | No |
| Asda | 54 | Supermarket pharmacy roles across the UK | No |
| Superdrug | 50 | Pharmacy and clinical roles; some non-pharmacy listings | Partial |
| Tesco | 43 | Supermarket pharmacy roles | No |
| Weldricks | 37 | Regional chain in South Yorkshire and surrounding areas | No |
| Morrisons | 32 | Supermarket pharmacy roles | No |
| Rowlands | 20 | Regional chain with branches across England | Yes — hourly rates |
| Day Lewis | 15 | Regional chain in southern England | Rarely |
| Well Pharmacy | 10 | National chain (Bestway-owned) | Yes — hourly rates |
These are publicly listed vacancies scraped from each employer's careers page or the NHS Jobs portal. The data is refreshed regularly, with the most recent scrape completed on 12 April 2026.
What the data captures well
Employer-level vacancy counts. PharmSee provides a real-time picture of which employers are actively hiring and at what volume. The 542 Boots vacancies and 512 NHS Jobs listings represent the two largest pools of publicly advertised pharmacy work in England.
Geographic distribution. Most listings include a postcode or location, allowing analysis of where vacancies concentrate. City-level breakdowns show, for example, that London has 113 vacancies within 15 miles, while Leicester has 12.
Role types. Job titles allow classification into pharmacist, dispenser, technician, manager, and clinical roles — though title conventions vary between employers.
Hours (Boots only). Boots publishes structured job type data that specifies exact weekly hours, enabling analysis of part-time vs full-time split. In a 200-posting sample, 52.4% of Boots roles were part-time (under 35 hours per week).
What the data does not capture
Locum and agency roles. PharmSee tracks direct-employer listings only. Locum pharmacist recruitment — which accounts for a significant share of community pharmacy staffing — operates through agencies, personal networks, and WhatsApp groups. None of these channels produce public job board listings. The true pharmacy vacancy picture is therefore larger than the 1,380 figure suggests.
Homecare and specialist employers. Sciensus, Alcura, Polar Speed, HealthNet Homecare, PharmaXO, and Lloyds Clinical Homecare are not among the 11 tracked sources. Pharmacists working in homecare delivery, clinical trial supply, or specialist compounding are largely invisible in PharmSee's data.
Internal promotions and transfers. Pharmacy chains frequently fill roles through internal movement rather than external advertising. A branch manager vacancy at a national chain may be offered to an existing pharmacist before it ever appears on a public careers page.
Salary for most community roles. Only three of the 11 sources (NHS Jobs, Well, and Rowlands) consistently publish salary or rate information. The remaining eight — including the largest employer by volume — disclose nothing.
How to use the data
For job seekers: PharmSee's job search lets you filter by location, employer, and role type. Use it to understand which employers are active in your area and how many options you have. For salary benchmarking, NHS Jobs listings provide the most reliable reference points — see the salary guide.
For employers and workforce planners: The aggregate figures indicate relative hiring pressure by region and employer. A city with 12 vacancies (Leicester) is in a very different market position from one with 113 (London).
For researchers: The data provides a snapshot of publicly advertised demand. It should be supplemented with locum agency data, NHSBSA contractor registers, and GPhC registration statistics for a complete workforce picture.
Data limitations to be aware of
Sample caps. Some source queries return a maximum of 200 results per request. For sources with more than 200 listings, the sample may not represent the full population. This is noted in analyses where it applies.
Title inconsistency. Different employers use different titles for equivalent roles. Notably, the largest community employer by listing volume does not appear to use the title "Pharmacy Technician" in external job advertisements, based on analysis of 400 sampled postings. Roles that require technician registration may be listed under alternative titles.
Reporting lag. Listings may remain active after positions are filled, and new postings may take hours or days to appear in PharmSee's data. The figures represent a snapshot, not a real-time count.
England focus. PharmSee's pharmacy register covers England. Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish pharmacy data is captured through NHS Jobs and some chain sources but is not comprehensive.
Explore the full dataset on PharmSee's job search or browse pharmacy locations on the pharmacy map.
Sources
- PharmSee database: 1,380 active pharmacy vacancies across 11 sources, April 2026
- NHSBSA, NHS Digital pharmacy contractor register
- General Pharmaceutical Council registration data