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Community pharmacy is stuck in a vicious circle. Pharmacies are closing at an alarming rate whilst the government is talking about moving care away from hospitals and into the community to focus on preventative care. While the government talks about this vision for the future, the stark reality is that pharmacies are already struggling to meet the current Pharmacy First thresholds. And now we discover that one of the key components that could create capacity in pharmacy to deliver more clinical services has been put on hold…indefinitely. The recently published Darzi review, which was commissioned after the new government came to power to assess the state of the NHS, praised the value of community pharmacies and preventative services. But it recognised the level of pharmacy closures across the country and warned pharmacy access could be 'at risk'. Community pharmacy is ideally placed to deliver the government's vision of preventative care in the community. But let's all be clear, moving preventative services into community pharmacies has, so far, been nowhere near as successful as it could have been due to the current climate pharmacies find themselves in. The Pharmacy First scheme is a testament to this. Just this week it was announced that consultation thresholds for the Pharmacy First scheme have been reduced from 30 consultations to 20. It's the second time in three months that the thresholds have been reduced and it follows an intervention from Community Pharmacy England who wanted to "save many pharmacies from missing out on a vital payment this month." In June alone, 3,269 participating pharmacies failed to meet the threshold - that's almost a third of all community pharmacies in England.

'Community pharmacy is far too important to be allowed to wither away' desc-Thousands of pharmacies took part in the second day of the 'Save Our Pharmacies' protest organised by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) on Thursday. Similar to the first day of protest in June, pharmacies carried out several symbolic actions, such as blacking out windows, to warn of the threat of future closures. Meanwhile, NPA chief executive Paul Rees led a delegation of pharmacy leaders to deliver a 350,000-strong petition to No 10 Downing Street, calling for "immediate, fair and sustained funding to safeguard NHS pharmacy services and ensure local pharmacies have a future." The delegation included NPA Chair Nick Kaye; Janet Morrison, CEO of Community Pharmacy England (CPE); Malcolm Harrison, CEO of Company Chemists' Association (CCA), and Gerard Greene, CEO of Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland (CPNI). Steve Race MP, who is the new chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy, and Sadik Al-Hassan, one of only two pharmacists in the House of Commons, also joined them.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, during today's (15th May ) Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs), reiterated his commitment to supporting community pharmacies amidst growing concerns over pharmacy closures. Addressing questions regarding the Pharmacy First initiative, Sunak assured the House of Commons of his dedication to bolstering resources for these vital healthcare providers. In response to a query raised by Member of Parliament, St Ives MP Derek Thomas, citing statistics from the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) about "committing to directing funds towards Community Pharmacy to alleviate financial pressure and prevent closures, Sunak remarked that he "cares deeply about the future of community pharmacies." Sunak acknowledged the indispensable role played by community pharmacists in alleviating pressure on urgent care services, emphasising the importance of initiatives like Pharmacy First in government's commitment to supporting community pharmacies. "There are over 10 and a half Community pharmacies across the country working incredibly hard to serve their patients," Sunak said praising the community pharmacists and highlighted the concerning trend of pharmacy closures, citing a significant increase compared to the previous year.

The Pharmacy Supervision Practice Group held its second meeting to discuss the future modelling of pharmacy practice. Some of the leading bodies from the community pharmacy sector have joined the group. The members explored themes centred around accountability, delegation and responsibility. The session included a wide-reaching discussion, including what future guidance might look like and the continued patient access to the pharmacist through a comprehensive, accessible and equitable community pharmacy offer. Chair of the group, Dr Michael Twigg, Associate Professor of Primary Care Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, said: "The primary objective of the group is to develop a co-designed and co-produced solution that will not only enhance the patient experience within community pharmacy practice, but that will enable the community pharmacy workforce to maximise role and professional skills. "At its second meeting, the group was unanimous that any changes in the delegation, responsibility and accountability space should be in the patient interest, distil confidence for patients and ensure that community pharmacy remains accessible and equitable."

Achieving the community pharmacy vision necessitates legal adjustments and additional funding beyond recent boosts, the pharmacy vision document published by Nuffield Trust and The King's Fund has revealed. It says community pharmacies in England must adapt to changing population needs amidst unprecedented health and care challenges. Commissioned by Community Pharmacy England, the report titled 'A Vision for Community Pharmacy', published on Sept. 19, is a result of almost a year of research and extensive consultation with the sector and wider stakeholders, advocating for community pharmacy. The think tanks detail a shift in the community pharmacy sector, highlighting how pharmacies can contribute to crucial policy objectives regarding population health, prevention, and the increasing demand in primary care. "The health and care needs of the population are evolving, and pharmacies in England, like all components of the health and care system, must adjust to address these changes," said Helen Buckingham, Director of Strategy at Nuffield Trust.

Wes Streeting's speech at the Labour Party Conference 2024 outlines several key health and social care reforms, which hold significant implications for community pharmacy in England. His focus on reforming and rebuilding the NHS to ensure fair, universal access to care, with prevention and early intervention at its core, presents both opportunities and challenges for community pharmacy. Here are the potential implications: 1. Prevention Focus Streeting's vision of a shift from a reactive, hospital-based model to a preventive healthcare system presents a promising future for community pharmacies. These changes could significantly reduce pressures on GPs and hospitals, integrating pharmacies more closely into primary care networks and enhancing their role in preventive care. 2. Digital Transformation The move from an "analogue to digital" NHS could see community pharmacies adopting more digital tools and systems for service delivery. This would likely involve greater use of digital prescribing, telehealth consultations, and AI-driven services. Pharmacies will need to invest in digital infrastructure and ensure that pharmacy professionals are trained to operate within a more tech-centric environment. 3. Reform and Redistribution of Services Streeting's plans to extend choice and equitable access to services mean that community pharmacies could become integral to providing care in underserved or disadvantaged areas. With a focus on decentralising healthcare and bringing it closer to local communities, community pharmacies could play a more significant role in supporting healthcare delivery in areas where GP services are stretched. This may include expanding access to pharmacy services in the most deprived areas, aligning with Labour's emphasis on addressing health inequalities.

Pharmacy Business will be hosting their annual awards event in the pharmacy calendar with a glittering ceremony to celebrate the very best of community pharmacy. The 23rd edition of the Pharmacy Business Awards will be on Wednesday 4 October 2023 in central London. The awards attract the biggest names in pharmacy, with heads of pharmacy organisations, CEOs of leading manufacturers and wholesalers, health officials and government ministers in attendance. We look forward to bringing together the shining lights of community pharmacy, who show the nation the unique services they continue to provide. REASONS TO ATTEND Understand what the ambitions of the NHS and PSNC are for the future of community pharmacy Understand why its important to develop a wider range of health services Learn how others are achieving this and what the benefits can be Learn what the benefits of embracing technological innovations are Hear what others are doing and what the benefits are to their business Network with and learn from your peers in community pharmacy WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Pharmacy owners Pharmacy managers Other pharmacy stakeholders Exciting news! Pharmacy Business Awards 2023 are just around the corner!

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Scotland has launched an online pharmacy best practice hub to showcase the best practices adopted by pharmacy teams in Scotland. The brand new pharmacy best practice hub, hosted on the RPS Scotland website, went live on Thursday (August 11). RPS Scotland said: "Pharmacy teams across Scotland are undertaking fantastic work right now, in a variety of settings including community, hospital and general practice pharmacy as well as specialist settings. Many of these examples demonstrate the very best in pharmacy practice, which is supporting the profession to move further towards RPS Scotland's professional vision for the future of pharmacy, Pharmacy 2030." RPS wants to celebrate and share these examples with healthcare professionals, government, politicians, the public and potential pharmacy students to inspire people into the profession. It also provides a fantastic opportunity for pharmacy teams to share their practice with each other across the country.

Nuffield Trust and The King's Fund are seeking feedback from community pharmacy on their proposals for the future of community pharmacy and they are seeking feedback from community pharmacy stakeholders. The online survey is the latest opportunity for pharmacy owners, LPCs and others in the sector to engage with the project to develop a Vision for Community Pharmacy. Nuffield Trust and The King's Fund want to hear their views on their proposals, ahead of the publication of the final report later this year. The vision is critically important, as it will be used to develop the future strategy for the sector and lay the groundwork for the next Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) negotiations. The survey is asking for thoughts on key aspects of the vision and its recommendations. The vision has been developed by Nuffield Trust and The King's Fund following an extensive programme of research, interviews and meetings of the vision Steering Group, Advisory Panel, and Working Groups, all of which have contractors, LPCs and other representatives of the sector at their heart. The vision project team are looking forward to hearing views from across the sector on their proposals and what will need to happen to make them a reality.

The Company Chemists Association (CCA)'s 'Prospectus for community pharmacy' has revealed that community pharmacies can release over 42 million appointments from general practice every year. In its prospect, the association calculated that community pharmacies could reduce hospital readmissions by 65,000 and administer an additional 10m routine vaccines annually. The prospectus sets out bold ideas and proposals regarding the future of community pharmacy. The association said: "Community pharmacies already work collaboratively with the NHS to ensure that patients can access care easily and safely. Whilst the sector has evolved considerably in recent years, the CCA proposes that pharmacies could do even more to directly tackle key problems for patients." CCA is concerned that without immediate action pharmacy closures will become increasingly common. "Fewer pharmacies will considerably diminish access to vital medicines and services, with the greatest impact on those in deprived communities."

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has republished a three-year-old report which underscores the vital role of community pharmacists and pharmacy t echnicians in a 'modern NHS' amid speculations that the government is set to announce plans to enhance the role of community pharmacy teams. PDA's 2019 report which "took three year to compile" highlighted significant empirical evidence and made recommendations to develop the roles of both community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, and the skill mix required to meet patients' needs. It examined in detail the role of pharmacy technicians in community pharmacy. The PDA still that pressure on the NHS can be managed much more effectively through the better use of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. In the community pharmacy setting, it is evident that if the further development of the pharmacist's role is to be facilitated and pharmacists are to become more patient facing in the future, an extended role and greater responsibility for pharmacy technicians is not only desirable, but ultimately it is essential.

Community Pharmacy England has submitted a full and detailed written response to the Health and Social Care Select Committee's pharmacy inquiry. The Committee is expected to hold oral evidence sessions when Parliament returns in the Autumn. The commencement of this inquiry follows on from those held on other primary care sectors, including Dentistry and General Practice. According to the Committee website this inquiry 'will explore issues impacting different types of pharmacy, with a particular focus on community, primary care and hospital pharmacy services'. Key themes of CPE's submission include- Suggestions on future service provision; Challenges with the pharmacy workforce; Longstanding underfunding of the sector; and Current pressures. Janet Morrison OBE, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England, said: "This is an extremely important opportunity for all who work with and in the Pharmacy sector, to highlight not only the extreme challenges we face, but also ideas and suggestions for what more we can do to help patients and the public in the future.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has been on the lookout for innovative ideas and suggestions that could transform the future of pharmacy practice in England over the next decade. The society's new project with the King's Fund to transform the future of pharmacy practice in England is at a consultation phase, seeking views and opinions of pharmacy teams from all areas of practice including primary, secondary, social and community care to ensure that the system gets the best out of pharmacy and the public receives seamless, joined-up care. "We want to build a vision that sets out the role of and value of pharmacists and pharmacy teams working across systems, providing patient care and NHS services," said RPS in a statement. "Transforming the future of pharmacy practice recognises the urgent need to build on new ways of working established across health and care systems during the pandemic to meet the increasingly complex health needs of people and improve patient outcomes."

A harsh funding regime that hasn't adapted to changing macroeconomic realities means the viability of large parts of the pharmacy sector is at risk unless the model changes. Very simply, across the sector, revenue has remained largely fixed while costs have increased significantly, making it impossible for many pharmacies to sustain their business models. The sector has seen the closure of more than 1,500 community pharmacies since 2015, with 700 of these closures occurring since 2021. Larger pharmacy operators such as Lloyds, Boots, and Rowlands have seen the biggest decline in numbers, with smaller businesses operating between one and five pharmacies now accounting for almost 50% of the sector. Despite rising inflation and business costs, the NHS pharmacy funding model has remained fixed. Over the period of the current Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) - 2019-2024 - pharmacies have experienced a 30% real terms cut in core funding leading to an annual shortfall of over £750 million, equivalent to £67,000 per pharmacy in England. The current CPCF is due to end in 2024, and there is still no arrangement in place for future funding, leading to delayed and inefficient spending decisions and hampering the ability of the sector to plan and attract much-needed investment.

Two dozen parliamentarians from across the political spectrum have called on the prime minister to act as a wave of pharmacy closures in recent years has threatened to spiral out of control. A letter to the prime minister signed by 24 MPs and peers has warned that worse could be yet to come after "spiralling business costs" and "year after year of real terms funding cuts" have led to hundreds of pharmacy closures. New data from the PSNC shows that over 639 local pharmacies have been lost in England since 2016. "This is the equivalent to just short of one pharmacy closure per constituency", the cross-party group warned. The letter comes as MPs came together at a parliamentary summit to call for pharmacies to be embraced as a "game-changer" for tackling healthcare backlogs and taking pressure off other areas of the NHS. A 'Future of Pharmacy' event was attended by 53 parliamentarians on July 5 in the Palace of Westminster. At the event parliamentarians heard directly from frontline pharmacists and representatives of pharmacy bodies where a map of constituency-specific pharmacy numbers was also unveiled, with details of the number of pharmacy closures in MPs' local area.

EMIS Pinnacle, the leading Pharmacy First IT supplier, has begun implementing the GP Connect Update Record feature to all community pharmacies in England that use PharmOutcomes. Starting June 28, this new feature was made available for use with the Hypertension case-finding service and the Pharmacy contraception service, as announced by the Community Pharmacy England (CPE). The GP Connect Update Record will enable community pharmacies to securely share "structured" information with GP practices regarding consultations conducted under the Pharmacy First programme, which includes minor illness and clinical pathways, along with Hypertension Case Finding and Pharmacy Contraception services Live testing is underway with EMIS Pinnacle for Pharmacy First minor illness and clinical pathways. There are plans to expand the system in the future to include updates for urgent supply of medicines under the Pharmacy First service. EMIS Pinnacle is the third CPCF IT system supplier to offer this functionality, following Cegedim's Pharmacy Services system and Positive Solutions' HXConsult system.

The 8th Pharmacy Business Conference, organised by Pharmacy Business, unfolded a dynamic narrative around the theme of 'Pharmacy of Tomorrow', highlighting the trajectory of innovation, adaptation, and the evolving landscape of pharmaceutical services. Attended by over 200 pharmacy owners, industry leaders, and stakeholders, the conference served as a medium for robust discussions and the exchange of valuable insights regarding the future of community pharmacy. Amidst the persistent challenges posed by an underfunded reimbursement system and negotiations with governmental bodies and the NHS for the new community pharmacy contractual framework 2024/25, the conference pivoted towards investing in staff, adapting to change by investing in new technology, and optimising commissioning as pivotal strategies. "Pharmacy professionals are playing increasingly important clinical roles in both primary and secondary care," shared David Webb, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO), NHS in a video message. He highlighted the NHS's commitment to empowering community pharmacy, with plans to expand services and deprescribe to align with the NHS's focus on preventive healthcare.

Politicians, researchers and pharmacy leaders called on the government to make community pharmacy a fundamental part of clinical services at an event at the House of Commons on Wednesday (13). At the launch of a research publication carried out by the University of Bath in conjunction with Sigma Pharmaceuticals, community pharmacy was described as an "essential pillar of health care provision" in the UK. The aim of this research was to provide evidence to support a strategy for the future developments of community pharmacy to ensure the sector continues to meet the needs of the public in the NHS. Researchers analysed 25 health and community pharmacy related policies published by the department of health, the NHS, the pharmacy profession, and spoke to stakeholders from a wide range of backgrounds, including patients, pharmacists, NHS commissioners and GPS.

Pharmacy bodies and MPs discussed on support needed to unlock the "full potential" of community pharmacy at the All Pharmacy Party Group (APPG)'s general meeting held in Westminster on Tuesday (01 November). The attendees of the meeting were Janet Morrison OBE, Chief Executive of Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee; Malcolm Harrison, Chief Executive of The Company Chemists' Association; Thorrun Govind, Chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society; Sanjeev Panesar, National Pharmacy Association Board Member, and Pharmacist Superintendent and Owner of the Pan Pharmacy Group; and Sandeep Dhami, Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies member and superintendent at MW Phillips Chemist At the session, 18 parliamentarians were briefed on the myriad of ways pharmacies contribute to the health of the nation. The panel of experts also highlighted that pharmacists are 'running out of fuel' with the growing challenges such as flat funding, workforce shortages and the cost-of-living crisis impacting pharmacies' ability to deliver vital services.

A policy brief, developed by researchers from the University of Bath and University of Strathclyde with funding from Sigma Pharmaceuticals, has recommended the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS to increase community pharmacy funding to avoid damaging closures and diminution of quality. The report launched on Wednesday (12 June) at an event in the House of Commons, attended by Members of Parliament, senior policymakers and the pharmacy industry, analysed community pharmacy policies and spoke to stakeholders to explore their opinions of the future of community pharmacy. It was found that patients value their community pharmacies, but staff feel demotivated, insecure and undervalued. Stakeholders and policies suggested that in the future, medicines should be supplied by automated 'hub and spoke' dispensing, enabling community pharmacy staff to provide services that relieve pressure on GP surgeries, such as long-term conditions management, urgent care and public health.