Community pharmacy contract talks not yet concluded, CPE says

Pharmacy contract negotiations have not concluded despite 'significant efforts' from all parties, the community pharmacy negotiator has said.

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) held a full committee meeting in London on 22 and 23 April and said that conversations largely focused on the ongoing Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) negotiations.

CPE said that the committee recognised how ‘incredibly frustrating’ the lack of certainty was for the sector and it hopes an update will be available in the coming weeks.

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In a statement it added: ‘Despite significant efforts by all parties, negotiations on the arrangements for the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) in 2026/27 have not yet concluded.

‘Government requirements dictate that negotiations must remain confidential but, as pharmacy owners themselves, committee members know how incredibly frustrating the lack of certainty is.

‘It makes managing finances all the more difficult, and planning for the future almost impossible.’

The committee also considered a plan of action for post-negotiations and the work that will be needed to resolve key challenges with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England before the next round of negotiations.

CPE chief executive Janet Morrison said: ‘This was an incredibly important committee meeting as we make progress through complex CPCF negotiations, allowing all committee members to understand in-depth the details of the current offer and their implications, to reflect on where we are relative to our negotiating positions, and to reaffirm our priorities.

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‘Pharmacy owners are rightly very anxious for news about their futures, and we hope that CPCF news will be available in the coming weeks.’

Delays to the contract – which should have come into effect from 1 April – have left sector leaders and pharmacists frustrated, with the National Pharmacy Association warning that services will be hit if interim funding is not made available.

Contractor Kevin Simpson, who owns several pharmacies in the north east of England, recently told The Pharmacist that he was frustrated with the lack of transparency around pharmacy contract negotiations.

He said: ‘There's no certainty that we can afford the minimum wage, or the business rates, or the increase in diesel costs that we've been faced with because there's no indication that it’s even being discussed in our contract negotiations.’

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At the CPE meeting, sub-committees also discussed other issues such as medicines supply, local pharmaceutical committee (LPC) support, and financial challenge.