Community Pharmacy Wales (CPW) this week (May 14) launched its 2026 manifesto in the Welsh parliament, which identified the “four key areas” it believes politicians must prioritise to “ensure the future sustainability and effectiveness” of the sector.
The manifesto called on the Welsh government to “create a level playing field for the community pharmacy workforce in terms of salaries and terms and conditions equal to those available in the secondary and primary care sectors”.
Read more: Wales sore throat and UTI service expansion backed by £6m funding
“The pharmacy sector faces intense competition for its workforce with hospitals and GP practices able to offer more attractive salaries and superior terms and conditions,” CPW said.
It stressed that “sustained investment” in the community pharmacy workforce is “essential to enable pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to fully utilise their skills, bringing high-quality healthcare closer to home”.
And it added that “without adequate funding for workforce development, training and career progression, the network risks staff shortages and burnout”.
Business rates burden
The manifesto also called for the government to create a “level playing field for community pharmacies as a business providing NHS primary care services”.
“GP surgeries do not pay business rates, [so] there can be no justification for community pharmacies to be treated differently from GPs who are also independent businesses delivering services on behalf of the NHS,” it said.
“Any specific financial contributions or concessions for the costs of business rates [should be] equal to those afforded to other primary care providers”, it added.
Read more: Wales launches £700k ‘pharmacy improvement scheme’
Meanwhile, the publication also set out that “investing in continuous professional development, fair remuneration and enhanced roles for pharmacy professionals will not only improve patient outcomes but also alleviate pressure on GPs and secondary care”.
It highlighted that since “wide-ranging reforms” of the Welsh pharmacy contract in 2022, “almost 80% of people” who used pharmacy services reported “they would have visited a GP or out-of-hours service” had the pharmacy service been unavailable.
Read more: CPW welcomes 6% funding increase for Welsh community pharmacies
This released “over 400,000 GP appointments” in the first year following the reforms, the body added, noting that this allowed GPs to “focus on those suffering from more serious conditions”.
The manifesto also urged the government to:
- “Agree a new community pharmacy funding formula”
- Ensure “fair access to funding” for clinical facilities improvements
- Recognise the “potential” of community pharmacy to play a “leading role” in the “development of a Wales-wide ill-health prevention agenda”
Read more: CPW: ‘Not possible’ to conclude Welsh contract negotiations before April
It comes after the Welsh government last month launched a £700k “pharmacy improvement scheme”, offering community pharmacy contractors up to £45,000 to carry out improvements to their premises.
And earlier this month, it announced that two new “national services” backed by £6m in funding – treating sort throats and UTIs – will become a “mandatory” part of the country’s pharmacy common ailments service later this year.
