Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has set out a timeline from April to July to “conclude and implement 2026/27 negotiations” for the community pharmacy contractual framework (CPCF).
Discussed at a committee meeting on February 4 and 5 and published last week, the draft “workplan” said that CPE was “seeking to secure sustainability for community pharmacy”.
The committee aims to “deliver an improved contractual framework to address the current funding crisis and secure a stable future”, it added.
Read more: Morrison: Next pharmacy contract ‘expected’ to be one-year deal
CPE chief executive Janet Morrison stressed that “the pressures on community pharmacies are critical, and the sector simply cannot bear more time without meaningful investment and reform”.
“Our message to government is clear: community pharmacies need immediate, sustainable investment,” she said, adding that CPE will “continue to push for a contract that recognises the essential role pharmacies play in primary care”.
And Morrison noted that “we stand ready to begin negotiations as soon as ministers issue the opening letter”.
Read more: IN FULL: CPE sets out April to July ‘timeframe’ to deliver new contract
According to CPE, committee members also “examined economic and other analysis to confirm key negotiating positions for the imminent 2026/27 contractual negotiations”.
It explained that while the Department of Health and Social Care (DH) and NHS England (NHSE) have “yet to begin formal...negotiations with CPE”, the negotiator is “continuing to prepare for the talks”.
This includes “monitoring funding, strengthening [their] evidence base and advocating for progress to be made urgently towards stabilising the sector”, it added.
“Multi-year plan”
Meanwhile, CPE’s draft workforce plan also set out that it hopes to “review the effectiveness of the 2026/27 negotiations to inform future negotiating strategies” in April or May.
The document said that the negotiator aims to “agree a shared community pharmacy roadmap for the future with the DH / NHSE, including a multi-year plan for the network” between July and October, with priorities including enhancing “exisiting services” and commissioning “new clinical services”.
Read more: ‘Immediate’ action called for as negotiation delays continue
The workplan also set out that CPE hopes to “explore with the committee options for improving the commissioning framework and funding models in the light of the community pharmacy roadmap for the future” between April and September.
And it added that the negotiator plans to “undertake the 2027 onwards negotiations” between October 2026 and January 2027.
Read more: Contract negotiations delayed amid government ‘conflict’
It comes after both the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and the Independent Pharmacy Association (IPA) called on the government last month to begin negotiations for the 2026/27 contract “as soon as possible” as delays continued into the new year.
And Morrison warned in October that the negotiator could be forced to tell the government it must “strip” out “core” services if the next contract does not deliver enough funding.
