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Addressing the recent announcement made by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to claw back £9 million per month from community pharmacy contractors, the Chairman of Numark, Harry McQuillan has expressed deep concerns over the financial implications on the sector. The claw back follows an error in the July calculations of Category M medicine prices, which led to increase in the reimbursements made to community pharmacies. Beginning August, the DHSC is set to claw back the amount. McQuillan criticised the decision, highlighting the severe strain it places on already financially vulnerable community pharmacies. Calling it "a severe blow to an already financially strained sector", McQuillan emphasised that the additional burden has the potential to threaten the viability of many pharmacies. "Community pharmacies are the frontline of our healthcare system, by penalising these pharmacies for an error not of their making, the Department of Health is jeopardising the foundation of local healthcare delivery," McQuillan criticised. Addressing the recent announcement made by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to claw back £9 million per month from community pharmacy contractors, the Chairman of Numark, Harry McQuillan has expressed deep concerns over the financial implications on the sector. The claw back follows an error in the July calculations of Category M medicine prices, which led to increase in the reimbursements made to community pharmacies. Beginning August, the DHSC is set to claw back the amount. McQuillan criticised the decision, highlighting the severe strain it places on already financially vulnerable community pharmacies. Calling it "a severe blow to an already financially strained sector", McQuillan emphasised that the additional burden has the potential to threaten the viability of many pharmacies. "Community pharmacies are the frontline of our healthcare system, by penalising these pharmacies for an error not of thei

Well Pharmacy has acquired three new pharmacies taking the total number of pharmacies owned by the chain across the UK to 746. The UK's largest independent and third largest pharmacy chain has bought Pharmacy Express in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, and two Frosts Pharmacy's in Banbury, North Oxfordshire, and Marston, near Oxford. All three pharmacies will be rebranded. # Well did not disclose the amount it paid for the new acquisitions. Operations director of Well Pharmacy Louis Purchase said that the group was "excited" to expand. "We believe passionately in community pharmacy, and we want our offering to be the best experience of this in the UK. We also hope our new colleagues can keep progressing and develop their clinical skills even further by being part of Well Pharmacy." Frosts Pharmacy teams have joined Well from their pharmacies based in Ferriston, Banbury, North Oxfordshire and Marston, near Oxford. They both serve local people from the heart of their communities and offer a successful travel vaccination clinic in Marston.

The Local Pharmaceutical Committees (LPCs) has rebranded to be known as Community Pharmacy to present a strengthened and unified identity to the local NHS, local government and other stakeholders, as the local voice of community pharmacy. "There are now 58 LPCs in England. The number of LPCs has reduced from 69, with further consolidation expected by April 2024 to a network of 48 local organisations," said Community Pharmacy England. "The changes mean there will be better alignment between LPCs and the 42 NHS Integrated Care Systems in England, who have taken on the responsibility for commissioning pharmaceutical services delegated by NHS England." "This marks a significant milestone, as similar to Community Pharmacy England, LPCs have been undergoing changes to respond to the Review Steering Group (RSG) recommendations on pharmacy representation. The sector voted in favour of the RSG proposals in the summer of 2022, and since then progress has been made on many of the changes at both local and national level as part of the Transforming Pharmacy Representation (TAPR) Programme."

In just three days, three well-established pharmacies were sold in Essex -Dips Chemist and Riverview Pharmacy in Grays, and Longfield Pharmacy in Maldon. According to specialist business property adviser Christie and Co, Dips Chemist and Riverview Pharmacy were included in a wider portfolio sale following their entry into administration in 2023. Both pharmacies, which collectively dispense an average of circa 14,000 items per month, have been acquired by Primary Health Solutions Ltd, an independent pharmacy operator led by Husain Master. "These two pharmacies are the perfect addition to my existing portfolio," said Master, who plans to increase the services offered as well as invest in the pharmacies to create a more clinical and welcoming environment. Mark Page, director - Pharmacy at Christie and Co, highlighted that there's an appetite for a full range of pharmacies in Essex and the Northern Home Counties, with many buyers looking to take on well-performing pharmacies or purchase a quieter pharmacy that can be improved.

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.

'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.

National pharmacy bodies have called on the government and NHS leaders to take appropriate action to keep pharmacy teams safe from violence and abuse. The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) - in collaboration with the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp), the Company Chemists' Association (CCA), the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) - is supporting an important petition started by Mike Hewitson, a community pharmacy contractor, who has been threatened with stabbing and robbed in his own pharmacy. The PSNC and the other national pharmacy bodies strongly believe that no healthcare professional should have to deal with this, that and pharmacists and their teams should be better protected. It said: "Community pharmacies play an integral role in the delivery of primary care and most patients are highly appreciative of the hard work of local pharmacists and pharmacy teams from dispensing medicines and administering vaccines to providing medical advice and health monitoring services.

To maximise the benefits of the Pharmacy First service for patients, the NHS, and community pharmacies, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has advised the community pharmacists to to establish a robust relationship between community pharmacies and local general practices. The news comes after several reports highlighted issues regarding GP referrals for the seven minor ailment conditions under the Pharmacy First services. According to the reports, many pharmacists claimed that "many GPs in England are not sending patients to them to be treated - and that some are refusing to participate at all in the "groundbreaking" Pharmacy First scheme". In response to foster better relationship with the GPs, CPE has said that strong local collaborations will enable general practice teams to confidently refer patients to the Pharmacy First and other community pharmacy services where appropriate. Moreover, the organisation emphasised implementation of long-term changes in practice will take time. The current focus on integrating GP referrals to Pharmacy First will likely require sustained effort over several months or longer.

Stone Pharmacy in Barnsley, South Yorkshire has been sold to existing operator, Livesey Healthcare, which owns another pharmacy in East Lancashire for an undisclosed price. Stone Pharmacy is a well-established, 100-hour community pharmacy that is run under full management with a locum Pharmacist, and dispenses an average of 22,000 items per month. The business adjoins Garland House surgery in the South Yorkshire village of Darfield, which is circa six miles east of Barnsley and circa 14 miles north of Sheffield. The pharmacy has been owned by experienced operators, Khuram Akhtar and Mohammed Ali, trading as MEDS2U Ltd, for the last seven years, and was recently brought to market to allow the pair to pursue new ventures both in and out of community pharmacy. Khuram Akhtar, former owner of Stone Pharmacy, commented: "The business at Stone Pharmacy has been a fantastic enterprise for many years for us, with limited competition and a position central to the local community we have always enjoyed the support of the nearby population and are pleased that it is now in the hands of experienced operators who can build on that foundation with the expansion of new services.

The pharmacy bodies have expressed a deep concern over Lloyds Pharmacy's announcement on plans to close all pharmacy branches located in Sainsbury's before the end of 2023. Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) Chief Executive Janet Morrison said: "This significant shrinkage by the second largest pharmacy chain is an extremely worrying development and one of the clearest signals yet of just how much all community pharmacies are struggling to make ends meet. We know that many are at breaking point." She added: "We understand that LloydsPharmacy will be in touch directly with affected staff and patients at this difficult time. As these pharmacies close, other pharmacies locally will be braced for even more pressures as they try to cope with increased demand." "The announcement by LloydsPharmacy will be of concern to staff, patients, the public and the community pharmacy sector alike," Malcolm Harrison, Chief Executive of the Company Chemists' Association (CCA). Pharmacists, and other employees, working at pharmacies owned and operated by LloydsPharmacy in Sainsbury's have been told that the group of more than 200 pharmacies will be closed this year as LloydsPharmacy will be ending their relationship with the supermarket chain.

Gurinder Singh, a lecturer of Pharmacy at the University of Reading, is set to transition into the role of an independent community pharmacist, along with his wife, Rajdip Purewal, a Clinical Pharmacist in General Practice and clinical lecturer at University of Hertfordshire. In an exclusive with Pharmacy Business, Singh shared his excitement about his acquisition of a Boots pharmacy located in picturesque Malmesbury, Wiltshire. His acquisition reflects broader trends in the pharmacy sector where experienced professionals are stepping in to fill gaps left by corporate closures. According to Singh, driven by a passion for healthcare and a commitment to their community, the new venture promises to bring an innovative and personalised touch to pharmacy services offered in the area. Discussing his motivation for revamping the pharmacy, now Malmesbury Pharmacy, Singh said: "My initial motivation was to ensure the local community didn't have to put up with another closure of a pharmacy after the recent closure of the Lloyds Pharmacy in Malmesbury."

A group of 21 community pharmacies in the Midlands and Yorkshire will have a new name - Pickfords Pharmacy. The group has been created by combining three independent pharmacy businesses which traded as Mr Pickford's, McGills Pharmacy and D&R Sharp. All pharmacies in the new group will be rebranded over the coming months, with a series of launch events planned by local teams. Speaking after the unveiling of the first branch to receive new signage in Hexthorpe Doncaster, Mimi Lau, Pickfords Pharmacy's chief operating officer, said: "This is a turning point for the group, with all our pharmacies operating under one name with a consistent, contemporary brand. "Initial reaction has been fantastic and very soon the name Pickfords Pharmacy will be widely recognised for the great service we deliver to customers and patients every day." Speaking of the consolidation, Nick Yarrow, the newly appointed group chief executive officer, commented: "Since the enlarged group came together last year, we have been striving to ensure that the best elements of each business have been retained for the benefit of our customers and team members. "This is part of our journey to be more than just a pharmacy - we want to be a trusted source of healthcare services at the heart of each one of the communities we serve".

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.

A group of 20 parliamentarians has written to health secretary Wes Streeting MP, calling for urgent government action to address the growing financial crisis facing community pharmacies. In the cross-party letter, supported by Community Pharmacy England (CPE), the MPs warned of a real risk of more pharmacy closures, with one in six pharmacy owners saying that they are unsure if their pharmacy will survive the year. They have urged the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England (NHSE) to prioritise long-term planning for pharmacies, including the implementation of the Community Pharmacist Prescribing Service. The MPs have also highlighted the need for more effective marketing for Pharmacy First to increase both walk-ins and referrals to this critical service. CPE chief executive Janet Morrison welcomed the support of 20 cross-party parliamentarians and recognising the vital role pharmacies play in the local community. She stressed the urgent need for immediate government intervention to ensure the survival of the sector and to maximise its potential in providing accessible care.

YouGov polling commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has revealed that majority of the people responding to the poll said that they would be concern by the pharmacy closure in their locality. The results show the extent of the public backing for a Pharmacy First approach - PSNC has been arguing that a fully-funded service would be beneficial for pharmacies, patients and the wider NHS. The poll witnessed 1,774 adults' participation from England. It showed 68 per cent of people agree that they would find it easier to seek health advice for common conditions, such as skin conditions or indigestion, at a community pharmacy rather than a GP surgery. Only 11 per cent disagreed that this would be easier. While 75 per cent of people agree that they would like to see community pharmacies offering more healthcare services such as treating urinary tract infections or sore throats. Only 6 per cent strongly disagreed with this. When asked how important, if at all, are the services provided by community pharmacies to them, their family, or community, 78 per cent indicted this was very important. Only 14 per cent said this wasn't important. 77 per cent said they would be very concerned if the pharmacy they use most often were to close permanently. Only 19 per cent said they would not be very concerned.

Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), discussed all primary care contracts, including those related to community pharmacy, during his meeting with Community Pharmacy England (CPE) Chief Executive and two members from the Negotiating Team. The pharmacy minister reiterated that community pharmacies will be central to the new government's health and wider missions. CPE Chief Executive Janet Morrison and her team updated Kinnock on the community pharmacy sector, highlighting the pressures throughout the summer. They underscored the critical challenges facing the sector and the urgent need for a funding lift. They also discussed Pharmacy First and emphasised the broader potential for pharmacies to further support the health of their local communities.

"We need to fix the front door to our NHS by investing in community pharmacy," asserts Daisy Cooper as more and more pharmacies "worry about the future of their business." Reflecting on the challenges faced by pharmacists during the pandemic, she emphasised their pivotal role in launching vaccination schemes across communities and the larger role pharmacies play in complementing traditional NHS facilities. Cooper recalls her collaboration with local pharmacies in St. Albans, where she worked hand in glove with them to address challenges faced by pharmacists to obtain information from NHS England regarding protocols and procedures. She told Pharmacy Business reporter that she had to work out something "hand in glove to help them get those vaccinated schemes up and running, as pharmacies were desperate to take part in the vaccination scheme" in her constituency. Describing their unique selling point (USP), Cooper emphasised the convenience and immediacy of pharmacies located in high street areas and warned that pharmacy closures "should be a real wake up call for the government."

The national pharmacy bodies has created 'Save Our Pharmacies' campaign website to give new focus to calls for fair pharmacy funding in England. The newly launched site contains key messages for public, politicians and stakeholders, and hosts campaign resources to be used by pharmacy teams. The pharmacy bodies encourage members of the public and pharmacy teams to show their support for the campaign on social media, as well as signing the petition and contacting their local MPs about fair funding. A further resource in the form of a window poster is being printed and will shortly be mailed out to all community pharmacies in England. It is the latest output of a joint programme of work being coordinated by PSNC, CCA, AIM and the NPA.

Growing up with a family that worked in pharmacy, our dinner time conversation was not like that of other families. Ours would centre around medicines, prescriptions, and the health challenges within our local community. I quickly came to understand the importance of the role played by community pharmacists. So I can't help but be concerned that the current direction being taken by digital health innovation threatens to leave community pharmacies behind. Whilst it is brilliant that patients can easily access their prescriptions through the rise of online pharmacies, many of these cut out the vital knowledge and expertise of local community pharmacists, and threaten to end the traditional close ties between local community pharmacists and their patients. Nine out of 10 NHS users believe that pharmacists play an unrivalled role when it comes to keeping patients in the community safe. We must ensure that digital health does not replace this important source of advice for health problems and injuries, but instead preserves and enhances this vital, personal role and enables pharmacists to continue delivering care in new and effective ways. A vital connection with patients Community pharmacies provide crucial support to local patients with managing their medicines safely, particularly older and more vulnerable people. The specific expertise and knowledge held by pharmacists can help inform the long-term management of a patient's condition and ensure they are kept safe from potential side effects and complications.

Pharmacy First has demonstrated the enormous value of community pharmacy in providing accessible front-line care. However, pharmacists continue to face several challenges in delivering the service. "Pharmacy First is a success, but it needs proper support to reach its full potential," said Numark chairman Harry McQuillan. In the first year alone, community pharmacies in England delivered an incredible 2 million consultations, highlighting the vital role pharmacists and their teams play in supporting the NHS. "This significant number shows the high demand for accessible healthcare and the trust patients place in their local pharmacy teams. It's clear that when empowered, community pharmacy delivers," McQuillan told Pharmacy Business. Key challenges in providing the service While Numark members have embraced Pharmacy First, McQuillan pointed out several challenges that persist: "Workforce capacity continues to be a concern, with patient demand sometimes outpacing available resources. "The administrative burden, particularly around IT interoperability, data capture, and reimbursement processes, adds complexity." "Additionally, some geographical areas are still struggling with public awareness, meaning more work is needed to ensure patients understand when and how they can access Pharmacy First."