One year on from ‘A Vision for Community Pharmacy’: an update from Community Pharmacy England
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In 2023, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) commissioned The Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund to develop the report ‘A Vision for Community Pharmacy’, setting out how to expand the role of community pharmacy in healthcare over the next decade. The report shared a vision that placed community pharmacy central to the delivery of joined-up, responsive and person-centred community-based health and care services. One year on, their CEO Janet Morrison shared an update on how CPE has been working towards realising this vision at the Pharmacy Show this October.
Taking to the Keynote Theatre of the Pharmacy Show, Morrison described how her team has been helping present community pharmacy as the ‘bringer of potential solutions to the challenges facing the NHS’. The session focused on the economic and social case for community pharmacy, the opportunities for further clinical development and the building blocks that will need to be in place to secure these ambitions.
Reflecting on the vision, Morrison shared CPE’s goal for the sector is ‘to have a sustainable and ambitious future for community pharmacy, with the right funding and investment to deliver better health outcomes to patients and the public.’
According to CPE, the report has been invaluable in supporting this:
‘The vision set out by The Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund sets out a way to achieve this, giving strong, independent support for community pharmacies which we continue to use to make the case with policy makers,’ Morrison shared.
Working closely with the government and helping influence policy is a key area where the report has guided CPE strategy. The report highlights how community pharmacy can contribute to policy goals around population health, prevention, and increasing levels of demand in primary care.
Morrison mentioned how CPE’s committee recently shaped the ideas from the report into a grid of service development priorities that link directly into the new Government’s healthcare plans. These ideas in turn are being actively used in CPE’s influencing and public affairs work, including through inputting into Government Spending Review processes and the Department of Health and Social Care’s work on the new NHS 10 Year Plan.
Throughout the talk Morrison explored the current challenges and pressures for community pharmacy, looking at the new political environment and the choices that need to be made to ensure pharmacy’s sustainability and maximise its potential for the future. Morrison outlined the key steps taken to achieve CPE’s vision within the first 100 days of the new Labour government, including making submissions to the Darzi Review and the Government Spending Review, conducting economic projects and public polling to reinforce their case, and rebuilding a network of advocates across Parliament.
As well as working with NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care to promote opportunities for the development of community pharmacy services, a major role of CPE is to negotiate the contractual terms for the provision of NHS community pharmacy services. Looking at the work ahead of them, this formed a crucial part of CPE’s roadmap to achieving their vision.
Despite the positive achievements in the past year, Morrison issued a stark warning that community pharmacy is on the brink of collapsing like a ‘house of cards’. While CPE has been working with national media to shine a light on the pressures that pharmacies are under, Morrison argued that the 2024/25 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) negotiations needed to recommence urgently.
Finally, Morrison shared the list of high priority community pharmacy service enhancements influenced by the report, which centre around an expanded Pharmacy First, public health, women’s health, and independent prescribers and long-term conditions.
Reflecting on her talk and experience at the Pharmacy Show, Janet Morrison said:
‘I was delighted to attend the 2024 Pharmacy Show and have the chance to speak directly to pharmacy owners and others doing fantastic work in and with the sector. I am always impressed by the commitment of pharmacy owners and their teams to their patients and communities even in these challenging times.
This past year has seen significant recognition for community pharmacy, with the launch of Pharmacy First and the inclusion of pharmacy in all major political party manifestos. We have a new Government with Ministers who seem to be listening, and Community Pharmacy England is determined to keep influencing policymakers to drive bigger, more meaningful change for the sector. First and foremost, this means stabilising the foundations of the sector before we can think about ambitions for a greater role in clinical services.
Sadly, pharmacy owners visiting our stand – who put their hearts and souls into their businesses – described their continuing daily struggles and the need for financial security. This is precisely why we have been gathering stacks of data and analysis to prepare for the re-commencement of the 2024/25 negotiations and beyond.
We are keen to get back to the negotiating table and are ready to take forward discussions on the future: pharmacy needs answers on the contractual framework for this year, and to have viable plans for the future.’
You can learn more about Community Pharmacy England’s work here.
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