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The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) is calling on NHS England and its member to pause and reflect before further implementing the pharmacy contraception service. NPA board met on Tuesday (25 April) to discuss the Pharmacy Contraception Service and the board decided that - with the community pharmacy sector at breaking point - it cannot support the immediate roll out of this service. The association believes that with no new funding for the service, and all existing funds in effect already allocated to other pharmacy activity, any payments to the sector for delivery of the oral contraception service will ultimately be clawed back by NHS England. Tweeting after the meeting yesterday, the NPA said: "We can't tell pharmacy owners what they can and can't do. But we can tell them the facts; fact number one is that with no new funding currently available everyone will be a loser from the implementation of this service on the current terms." NPA Vice-Chair Jay Badenhorst added: "We cannot be expected to take on more and more services without the increase in funding necessary to deliver them effectively. Meanwhile, taking on additional work when current workload already exceeds capacity risks impacting negatively on the overall quality of care people experience in pharmacies. We still believe this could, in future, be a great new pharmacy service, but not without the extra funding necessary to deliver it safely and effectively. We want to offer women this extra support, but if it's worth doing it's worth doing properly."

The leading pharmacy bodies have come together to launch the 'Save Our Pharmacies' campaign which highlights the pressure and untapped potential of the sector. Pharmacy bodies- Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp), Company Chemists' Association (CCA), National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) have agreed to work together on a programme of activities to lobby for fair NHS funding for pharmacies in England, including co-ordinating efforts to mobilise public support. The campaign will focus on highlighting both the pressures that pharmacies are under and the huge untapped potential of the sector - including to offer a Pharmacy First service - if appropriate resourcing is made available. Mark Lyonette, NPA Chief executive, said: "Together we will be cranking up the noise to persuade Government and NHS to make the right choices and back the community pharmacy sector with decent funding. Maintaining patient and public support is critical to our campaigning success, so this will be a key focus in the months ahead. Our joint message is very clear: pharmacies can help get the NHS back on its feet, but not while the sector itself is on its knees." The pharmacy bodies will develop shared resources for effective parliamentary lobbying and mobilising public opinion, in the face of chronic underfunding that threatens further pharmacy closures. They will also work hard to show off the value of pharmacy and to continue pushing for a fully funded Pharmacy First service.

England's chief pharmaceutical officer (CPhO) David Webb has promised his "wholehearted support" for the community pharmacy sector at the board meeting of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) on 28 June in St Albans. After hearing the CPhO at the meeting, NPA chair, Andrew Lane, later declared: "David is someone we can do business with." Webb thus listed his priorities as head of profession: integration of independent prescribing as part of pharmacy practice by 2026; promotion of inclusive pharmacy practice for all pharmacy professionals; assurance of post-registration practice; developing the role of pharmacy technicians; support for Integrated Care Systems and Primary Care Network pharmacy teams (including community pharmacy); medicines optimisation; and strengthening of professional leadership for community pharmacy. He also reported that NHS England had recently increased its team of regional pharmacy integration leads from seven to 14, creating seven new senior posts. Webb told NPA board members: "I want sincerely to thank community pharmacy teams for everything they are doing and to say that you have my wholehearted support. I believe in the importance of community pharmacy and will listen and engage as I've already demonstrated.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has warned of multi-million financial hit for community pharmacies, while the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has renewed its calls for urgent financial support amid a looming energy bill crisis. NPA board member, Olivier Picard, this week shared a screenshot of his estimated electricity bill on WhatsApp groups. Upon expiration of his current arrangements, in October, his electricity bill could rise from its current £1,821 for one pharmacy to an estimated £6,914 - a near fourfold increase. Piccard said: "This is an eye-watering rise in costs for my own pharmacies and adds to the intense financial pressure we're already under. My standing charges will multiply by 10 and the overall cost to each pharmacy amounts to about £5,000." His comments come just ahead of an NPA-commissioned report into pharmacy inflation which will provide an analysis of inflationary costs pressing on the community pharmacy sector, from utilities and workforce to medicines purchasing.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has appointed Paul Rees MBE as its new Chief Executive, with his role commencing on November 27th. Rees, currently serving as the Chief Executive of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and having held various roles throughout his career, will succeed Mark Lyonette, who is retiring, NPA said in a statement. "We anticipate Paul joining the NPA after a thorough recruitment process affirmed his suitability," said Nick Kaye, Chair of NPA. "Throughout his career, including his role at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, he has made a significant impact and achieved concrete changes in healthcare and society. I would also like to express my appreciation to Mark for his work as Chief Executive since 2018. He still has important tasks to complete at the NPA before his retirement." Rees has also held key positions at prominent organisations, including the Ramblers Association, National Housing Federation, Charities Aid Foundation, Association of University Teachers, and the , besides being the Head of Communications at the Home Office.

The community pharmacy bodies, along with England's largest pharmacy chains, have urged the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak to resolve fund and workforce crisis in the sector. In the joint letter the Chief Executives of Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp), Company Chemists' Association (CCA), National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC), along with Boots, Lloydspharmacy, Well and Rowlands Pharmacy, said they are pleased to see Government now recognising the key role that community pharmacy' could have in alleviating the strain on other NHS services. However, the associations also warn that although the sector is ready to support, 'this will not be possible unless pharmacy is properly funded.' Janet Morrison, PSNC Chief Executive, said: "The Prime Minister should also know that community pharmacies are also facing a crisis. They need sustainable investment, urgently, if we are to avoid devasting consequences for pharmacies and for their patients." The letter calls on Government to help pharmacy to resolve the funding, workforce and capacity issues engulfing the sector. It said: "Community pharmacies are in crisis and after 7 years of 30% funding cuts have reached their limit."

National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has appointed Nick Kaye as its new chair on Monday (24 April). He has taken over the chairmanship from Andrew Lane, who stood down last month after serving his maximum term. Nick, who part-owns Hendra Pharmacy in Cornwall will serve for two years as NPA chair, after being elected unopposed at the first meeting of the new NPA board. Jay Badenhorst, Managing Director and Superintendent Pharmacist for Whitworth Chemists in the North East of England, is now vice-chair. Michael Guerin, the Managing Director and Superintendent Pharmacist of the Medicare group in Northern Ireland, continues as Treasurer. Nick Kaye said: "As a third generation community pharmacist, I feel very privileged to serve the sector that I love so dearly in this way. "Andrew will be a hard act to follow. But I can promise my unwavering commitment to independent community pharmacy, with Jay and Michael's 's support, plus that of board colleagues and our dedicated executive team.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) is asking independents to vote 'yes' to reform of pharmacy representation in England as a three-week voting period opens on Friday, May 27. The NPA is also calling on PSNC to complete unfinished business and present 'the compelling case for change' that the Review Steering Group was unable to deliver. The Associations says it is "on balance" and with some degree of reluctance supporting an affirmative vote, because the benefits marginally outweigh the several valid arguments for a "no" vote. NPA chief executive, Mark Lyonette, said on Thursday (May 19): "After much deliberation and engagement with members, we are recommending our members vote yes, because the alternatives are either the flawed status quo or a further period of uncertainty for the sector, with months or even years of introspection to come. There is no guarantee that going back to the drawing board, particularly with the same actors, would bring about a better outcome.

The Conservative Party Prime Ministerial candidate Rishi Sunak visited Bassett Pharmacy in Southampton on Wednesday (Aug 24) - the pharmacy that used to be run by his family. During the visit, Sunak is reported to have said that he intends to reform the NHS and achieve value for money from health spending, should he become prime minister. Giving his reaction to the visit, National Pharmacy Association (NPA) chief executive Mark Lyonette said: "If Rishi Sunak is serious about NHS reform, he would do well to start with a 'pharmacy first' approach to prevention and treatment which has the potential to transform the way people access NHS care. "That can only happen with a sustained increase in funding for our sector, which is facing much harder times now than it ever did when Mr Sunak's parents owned a pharmacy years ago." Earlier in the week, NPA board member Hiten Patel met the former chancellor when he visited West Harrow for a campaign event on August 23. Patel took the opportunity to explain that pharmacies in England are not being properly supported to fulfil their potential within the NHS.

A new report commissioned by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has revealed harsh financial realities faced by community pharmacies in England. The report by Professor David Taylor of University College London warned that 1000s of community pharmacy closure might take place by 2024 in England if the sector was not supported with additional funds. At the launch of the report titled 'Protecting UK Public Interests in NHS Community Pharmacy', Prof Taylor said: "There will be several 1,000s of closures over the next few years unless we take appropriate action, which doesn't mean to pour money all over it, but it is to fund appropriately when necessary. "At the moment, if we got a partial collapse in the pharmacy network it would disrupt medicine supply and increase health inequalities… For me, it's missing out on the future development of better and more accessible care, which would be the tragedy of reducing, harming and damaging the pharmacy network unnecessarily."

Digital pharmacy app Charac has raised over £1 million in debt and equity, bringing total funding to date for the London-based startup to £2.5m. Pharmacy Business understands while the majority of the new finance, worth about £1.2 million, comes from the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) coffer, the remainder is put forward by a number of individual pharmacy businesses. The pharmacy sector is in a state of crisis, experiencing nearly two closures per week over the past two years, Charac said in a statement. According to data from the NHS Business Services Authority, there are now only 11,026 community pharmacies in England, the lowest number since 2015. The current crisis is attributed to escalating operational costs, a shortage of staff, and diminished government financial support.

Two weeks prior to the closing of the hub and spoke consultation, issues around patient safety, costs and competition as well as practicalities such as what to do with uncollected medicines were discussed in a webinar on hub and spoke dispensing on Wednesday (May 26). The webinar was organised by Sigma Pharmaceuticals in association with the National Pharmacy Association (NPA). NPA director of corporate affairs Gareth Jones chaired the event and was joined by Sigma's Hatul Shah and Raj Haria as well as NPA vice chair Nick Kaye and NPA head of advice and support services Jasmine Shah. Kaye said: "There are still many 'unknown unknowns' with hub and spoke and the jury's still out on any potential benefits. I have lots of reservations about cost and it worries me how efficient this is for the business and the long term sustainability for the sector as a whole. Above all we need to think about the patient at the centre of all this and the potential confusion for them." Jasmine Shah felt patient safety was going to be the key in regards to whether the spoke and the hub would hold the ultimate responsibility and "who is going to take the accountability as far as patient care goes". She added: "It is most important that GPhC standards and NHS requirement are both met in identifying all the risks associated with the arrangement with hub and spoke and ensuring that (patient safety) measures are in place. Everything that needs to be looked at is by putting the patient at heart of the arrangement and seeing what is the safest way for them to receive care from both spoke and hub."

The 'SaveOurPharmacies' roundtable held on Tuesday (21 March) to discuss severe challenges faced by the community pharmacies in England witnessed the support of 15 MPs. Janet Morrison, Chief Executive, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC); Andrew Lane, independent pharmacy owner and Chairman, National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and Ian Strachan, independent pharmacy owner and Board Member, Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIM) attended the summit, which was chaired by Stephen Hammond MP, to brief MPs on the severe challenges facing the sector. MPs in attendance were Stephen Hammond, Sally-Ann Hart, Peter Aldous, Anna Firth, Taiwo Owatemi, Bob Seely, Derek Thomas, David Rutley, Lilian Greenwood, Tulip Siddiq, Hillary Benn, Sarah Olney, Christian Wakeford, Daisy Cooper (researcher) and Victoria Atkins (researcher) The title of the event 'Community pharmacy's role in the Primary Care Recovery Plan' which is expected imminently, is set to include a variety of measures aimed at helping primary care to recover from the impact of the pandemic. PSNC has been pressing for the plan to include a fully-funded national Pharmacy First service as this is the best chance for getting significant additional funds into community pharmacies.

Community Pharmacy England (CPE), the Company Chemists' Association (CCA), the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) on Tuesday (5 March) released a joint manifesto for community pharmacy in anticipation of the upcoming general election expected later this year. The manifesto has been designed for widespread use within the community pharmacy sector to facilitate engagement with political parties and parliamentary candidates. In their #VotePharmacy manifesto, the pharmacy bodies have highlighted a robust six-point plan to unleash the potential of pharmacy. Election candidates are urged to express their support in six key areas, which include: Filling the funding gap and committing to long-term sustainable funding to empower pharmacies to deliver more NHS care. Enhancing the community pharmacy workforce to ensure they can meet the evolving needs of patients.

Community pharmacy bodies have said that the current crippling financial pressures and severe staff shortages will limit the sector from fully supporting the new health secretary's ambition to improve patient care in England. Thérèse Coffey announced her plans on Thursday (September 22) which would be looking to reduce the country's reliance on general practice by expanding the range of services available from community pharmacies and allowing pharmacists more "prescribing powers". "Pharmacists will be able to manage and supply more medicines, without a prescription from a GP. We will look to go further on enabling pharmacists with more prescribing powers and making more simple diagnostic tests available in community pharmacy," she said in her foreword to Our Plan for Patients. However, the National Pharmacy Association has lamented that the plan stops short of promising any fresh funding for community pharmacies to deliver patient care and develop clinical services. NPA vice-chair, Nick Kaye, said: "The life is being choked out of independent pharmacy businesses by the continuation of a fundamentally under-resourced contract in England.

MCAN Health, a medical travel company based in Istanbul-Turkey, has announced its sponsorship of National Pharmacy Association (NPA), a not-for-profit organisation representing independent community pharmacies across the UK. Gulsultan Dogan, the Founder and CEO of MCAN Health, said that their company is dedicated to improving global healthcare accessibility, which aligned perfectly with the NPA's mission to boost community health services in the United Kingdom. On receiving the invitation letter from the NPA, Dogan said: "We did not hesitate to show our support and positively answer the invitation letter. "As a professional in the healthcare sector for years, I firmly believe medical care is a human right that should be accessible to everyone without enduring lengthy waiting lists."

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society's (RPS) second roundtable on workforce wellbeing resulted in a series of collaborative actions to address pharmacy professionals' mental health and wellbeing challenges. The roundtable brought together key stakeholders from the pharmacy sector, including organisations like the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), Community Pharmacy England (CPE), the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), and the profession's independent charity Pharmacist Support (PS). A report detailing the outcomes of the meeting was published on Friday, highlighting the key areas of discussion and the agreed-upon actions by the participants. During the roundtable, participants discussed the importance of understanding the workforce demographics, both nationally and locally, and using data to address wellbeing issues effectively. They also emphasised the need for using supportive standards set by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) quality statement to support and empower pharmacists' wellbeing positively.