The financial struggles faced by community pharmacy will be at the front of Community Pharmacy England’s (CPE) mind ahead of the next round of contract negotiations, its chief executive Janet Morrison has said.
As the community pharmacy sector ‘brace themselves’ for the next set of pharmacy contract negotiations, Ms Morrison said she was focused on ‘making the case for change and carving out a better future for community pharmacy’.
She described the announcement of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) arrangements for 2024/25 and 2025/26 earlier this year as a ‘major milestone’ that signalled an end to the ‘trend of ever-decreasing funding in real terms’.
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The settlement saw a £3.073bn deal agreed for the sector, with a further £215m available for contractors to earn through Pharmacy First, blood pressure and contraception services.
But the issue is far from resolved, with concerns from across the sector around the gap between delivering pharmacy services and the funding given.
The CPE Pharmacy Pressures Survey 2025 revealed pharmacy owners’ ongoing struggle to keep their businesses afloat in the wake of medicine supply issues, inflation, rising operational costs, and increasing staff wages.
Of the over 800 pharmacy owners polled, 45% reported dipping into their personal savings to support their business and even after the funding settlement, only 9% said the threats to their business were manageable.
‘The funding uplift, while substantive and welcome, was only a first step towards stabilisation and economic sustainability,’ Ms Morrison said.
'Pharmacy businesses of all shapes and sizes are continuing to struggle to balance their books and to deliver high quality care under the weight of the ongoing operational challenges.’
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Pointing to the survey findings, she added: ‘All of this is very much at the front of our minds as we prepare for the next round of CPCF negotiations.’
CPE said it had invested in economic projects and data analysis to build a strong evidence base that reflects the reality of pharmacy operations and the value pharmacy teams are delivering.
It has also been preparing a programme of Parliamentary events for September and October to underline to government how much community pharmacy matters.
Community pharmacy owners can share their opinions on the future direction of the CPCF via CPE’s poll ‘2026/27 CPCF Negotiation Priorities’ – which closes at 11.59pm on Monday 8 September.
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The survey aims to gather views on potential funding allocations, service priorities, and regulatory asks.
Ms Morrison added: ‘Together, we are not only navigating the challenges of today – we are making the case for change and carving out a better future for community pharmacy.’
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