In its long-awaited long-term plan, published on Monday (January 7), NHS England said it aim­­s to “explore further efficiencies” in community pharmacy, by reforming the sector's “reimbursement and wider supply arrangements”.

Royal Pharmaceutical Society English board chair Sandra Gidley told C+D at the time that the “big concern” regarding what these efficiencies could mean in practice “must be sending a chill through every community pharmacist”, while the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee said it “did not yet know the government’s view on ‘further efficiencies’”.

NHS England has since explained to C+D that the sector continues to raise concerns about the way the pharmacy reimbursement system operates.

The commissioning body will work with the Department of Health and Social Care to identify improvements and make the system as efficient as possible, it said.