A ‘breakthrough year’ for CPE, according to 2024/25 annual report

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has hailed 2024/25 ‘a breakthrough year’ for the negotiator, having secured what it described as a ‘major funding uplift’ for the sector.

In its latest annual report, CPE outlined the ‘positive step-change’ for community pharmacy seen in 2024/25, which saw contract negotiations with the government result in a more than an £800m funding increase for the sector.

But while this was ‘the largest uplift in funding across the whole of the NHS’, CPE recognised that ‘pharmacies continue to face incredibly difficult times, and much more remains to be done to secure the long-term sustainability of the sector’.

Just 9% of pharmacy owners said the threats to their business would now be manageable, in a survey conducted by CPE after the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) arrangements were announced.

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A fifth (21%) said they would not survive another year and over half (56%) said they were looking at ways to reduce their costs further, which will have an impact on patients.

The CPE annual report for 2024/25 said: ‘Our focus now shifts to implementation and preparing for the next round of [CPCF] negotiations – critical work ahead of another challenging winter.’

Janet Morrison, chief executive of CPE, issued a statement which said: ‘Over the coming year, as every year, we will continue at Community Pharmacy England to fight hard for the sector, using every route that we can to secure a sustainable future, while remaining in awe of the dedication community pharmacy owners and teams show to their patients and communities in delivering a fantastic and valued service.’

She thanked the CPE’s committee for its hard work, passion and realistic approach to the challenges facing pharmacies.

In particular, she expressed her gratitude for Sue Killen, the outgoing chair of CPE whose ‘commitment and leadership’ has been ‘incredibly valuable’ to the organisation.

Ms Killen wrote in the annual report that although the past year had been one of ‘change and challenge’ for community pharmacy, it had also been one of new opportunities and relationships with government ministers.

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‘Engagement with pharmacy owners and with Loal Pharmaceutical Committees (LPCs) has gone from strength to strength. Committee members have worked hard to keep building strong connections across the country,’ she said.

In 2024/25, community pharmacy dispensed 1.1 billion prescriptions, provided over 69 million walk-in consultations, delivered over 5.2 million Pharmacy First consultations, more than four million flu vaccinations and over 2.8 million blood pressure checks, according to the report.

CPE’s efforts to raise the profile of pharmacy have also been effective, according to the report. In the past year, it has had 105 national media mentions, 260 mentions in parliament, and 115 parliamentary questions submitted based on its briefings.

The report said: ‘Together, we are not only navigating the challenges of today – we are making the case for change and trying to carve out a better future for community pharmacy.’

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CPE hopes to have further progress to share with contractors later this year, the report suggested.

In an interview last month, Ms Morrison told The Pharmacist that pharmacy owners are up against ‘serious cash flow problems’ leaving many struggling to keep their businesses afloat.