The contract reforms agreed in the 2026/27 community pharmacy deal could take “three or four years”, according to Community Pharmacy England (CPE).
Speaking at the Pharmacy Show on October 11, CPE research and insights director James Davies told delegates, “I need to set your expectations that this is going to be a multi-year programme”.
Read more: CPE ‘still working to shape’ contract reform agenda with DH
“It’s going to take many, many years,” he said. “Unfortunately, the speed at which the government works, to really revolutionise the contract and make it work in a different way, we’re talking three or four years before some of that will happen.”
The 2026/27 community pharmacy funding package, announced in May, saw the government commit to working on a programme of reforms with CPE.
CPE chief executive Janet Morrison wrote for C+D shortly after that “reform conversations will be complex, difficult and will require harsh truths”.
Read more: ‘In it for the long haul’: Kinnock hails new pharmacy contract
In June, Morrison said it “does not have a precise timeline” for the reform agenda promised by the government, but stressed it was “an absolutely urgent piece of work that we need to do”.
And CPE committee meeting papers published in July revealed that a “more effective medicines margin framework” and a “fundamental review of the current reimbursement model” would be key areas of focus for the agenda.
“Not solved overnight”
At the Pharmacy Show, Davies confirmed that CPE had agreed five main areas of reform that it will be working on with the government.
These include dispensing and medicines optimisation, the future of clinical services and access and market sustainability to make sure “pharmacies are not closing”.
Davies added that margins and medicine supply will be looked at, as well as potentially removing “some of the regulatory, economic deficiencies”.
Read more: No ‘precise timeline’ for pharmacy reform agenda, says CPE
He said reform is “really important” as there are “fundamental changes we think need to be made”, but added that “some of these things are not going to get solved overnight”.
“Some of the ‘near-term’ improvements that have been suggested by pharmacy owners that we’re putting together right now, are about how can price concessions happen quicker,” he added.
Davies said CPE is now publishing updates on those decisions on a weekly basis and making contractors aware of them “as quickly as we can negotiate with the Department of Health and Social Care (DH)”.
Read more: ‘Community pharmacy has earned its place within NHS reform’
“But we think that system can be even better and we’re working with the government to improve that right now,” he added.
Davies also said CPE is looking at making category M changes “more responsive” and changing contractors’ payment plans, as many are “struggling with cashflow” as prices and wholesaler bills rise.
But he said the “key thing” that CPE pushes for every day is “more money put in the system”.
