The PDA reacted to media reports in 2025, and again in February 2026, about potential closures at Morrisons. In 2025, this led to four pharmacy closures alongside the closures of 52 cafés, 17 convenience stores, 35 meat counters, and 13 florists across the supermarket’s network. This is trying to recapture previous success after falling behind Lidl with its share of supermarket business.
In February 2026, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) register said Morrisons had 115 pharmacies, and it currently shows 98 remaining. Further sales seem to be back on the agenda, with further media reports in September 2026 saying that the Company Chemists Association member intends to sell more pharmacies as part of the wider effort to change the business.
It is important to note that these appear to be intended as sales and not closures, so a pharmacy will still exist at the supermarket store even though it will no longer be owned and operated by Morrisons.
Branch sales and TUPE
If a branch is sold to another organisation, it may mean that staff are transferred to a new employer. Where part of an organisation is transferred from one employer to another like this, it can mean that the TUPE regulations apply. TUPE stands for the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations that protect employees’ rights when they transfer to a new employer.
TUPE protects employees’ status and conditions of employment, and if a TUPE transfer is to occur, by law, both the old and new employers must inform and consult with affected employees and their representatives. This means they should listen to affected employees or their representatives about expected ‘measures’. Measures are any changes which will affect employees because of the transfer.
The PDA has significant experience in supporting pharmacists who go through TUPE transfers.
What to do now
Employed pharmacists may want to ensure that they have an up-to-date copy of their employment contract and their employer’s staff handbook at home. This is good advice to any employee as it can be useful to have these documents to hand in case potential change is ever announced at the workplace.
Once any proposals for changes to a specific pharmacy or individual roles are known, then PDA members who wish to discuss any concerns are encouraged to contact the PDA Member Support Centre at that time.
Pharmacists employed at Morrisons who are not yet members of the PDA are encouraged to join as soon as possible. The PDA can represent pharmacists wherever they are employed or practice.
Locums should also make sure that they have written details of work undertaken or agreed with any business so that there can be no confusion as to who owes them any fees.
Sector oversight and future stability
While every pharmacy sold must by definition have a buyer, not all such changes bring stability.
In addition to supporting individual pharmacists impacted by these pharmacy sales, the PDA is calling for effective oversight from the Department of Health and Social Care and GPhC to better protect patients and staff from potential issues that may arise at such times of structural change in the sector. Lessons must be learned from the Lloyds Pharmacy and Jhoots situations, for example, in the interests of patients, employees, locums and of the sector as a whole.
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