The figures showed that the number of prescription items dispensed in the community was 1.26 billion, a 4% rise on the 1.21 billion in 2023/24.
The cost of prescription items dispensed in primary care in England was £11.2 billion, a 2% increase from £10.9 billion in 2023/24.
Responding to the data, Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, said: "This is yet more data showing that workload pressures are higher than ever on community pharmacies, with pharmacies dispensing more prescriptions than ever before despite the network being at its smallest for 20 years.”
Gregg continued: "The cost of medication is trending relentlessly upwards. The government needs to step in to stabilise the situation and bring an end to pharmacies dispensing at a loss due to soaring prices.
"It's clear that pharmacies are dealing with record volumes of medication and need the support from the government to meet this huge demand as well as invest in clinical services for patients."