Fewer Nova Scotians are on the Need a Family Practice Registry.

Nova Scotia Health says there were 77,526 registered as of October 1st.

On September 1st, there were 84,069 on the list.

That means a drop of about 6,543, according to the latest NSH release.

This number accounts for those newly added to the registry, those removed because they were attached to a family doctor or nurse practitioner, or those removed because they no longer needed a primary care provider for various reasons.

The province says the percentage of the population on the registry is 7.3%.

Nova Scotia Health will next update the registry in early November.