The government and Community Pharmacy England (CPE) have officially announced the results of negotiations of the 2024/25 and 2025/26 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF). This agreement sets the direction for pharmacy services in England and determines how community pharmacies contribute to the NHS reform agenda.
With pharmacists and pharmacy teams under increasing pressure from rising prescription volumes and expanding clinical service expectations, the PDA is calling for a contractual framework that genuinely supports pharmacists, ensures safe patient care, and guarantees the long-term sustainability of community pharmacy.
To pressure test any future contractual frameworks, the PDA will assess it against six key criteria:
The PDA’s ‘six-step test’ for the new CPCF
- Appropriate timing and pace – Will any new services be introduced at a realistic pace, ensuring safe and effective delivery?
- Training and preparedness – Will pharmacists and the wider pharmacy team have protected time for essential training before the rollout of new or expanded services?
- Workforce capacity and safety – Does the contract ensure adequate staffing levels and the right skill mix to maintain patient safety and service accessibility?
- Integrated healthcare pathways – Are effective IT systems and referral pathways in place to support seamless collaboration with the wider NHS and avoid the revolving door for patients?
- Inter-professional collaboration – Will other healthcare professionals be properly informed about their role in supporting any new pharmacy services or the expansion of existing services?
- Public awareness and demand management – Is there a robust public information campaign to set patient expectations and manage the demand effectively?
Pharmacists must have a seat at the table
A recent PDA member survey found that 98% of pharmacists believe their representatives must be involved in discussions when commissioners plan new or expand existing services. Yet, the current negotiations are happening between the government and employer/business owner representatives only, without direct input from the workforce that will ultimately be responsible for delivering these services.
Pharmacy services cannot succeed if they are designed without the input of those who deliver them. Every new service must be properly resourced, implemented at the right pace and backed by the appropriate workforce strategy. If these discussions result in an underfunded or unworkable framework, it is pharmacists, alongside their patients, who will suffer the consequences. The PDA will continue to advocate for a framework that truly supports pharmacists and ensures safe patient care.
A call for meaningful reform
There is so much potential for growth and new pharmacy contract presents an opportunity to hardwire the sector into primary care and for it to truly be the first port of call for patients, however, the pharmacist workforce needs to be part of laying the groundwork. Contractual frameworks need to go beyond financial negotiations and prioritises the practical realities of community pharmacy. No one would buy something, and then afterwards negotiate what the features and benefits are so, why should this approach be suitable for these negotiations?
The profession is at a crossroads and without urgent reform, unsustainable workloads and workforce shortages could undermine the sector’s ability to deliver the safe, high-quality care that patients expect. Whilst delivering care to patients, pharmacists should build on the untapped clinical potential that will integrate pharmacy services into wider healthcare delivery plans to benefit the system in the long term.
The current framework has limited mechanisms to ensure that those on the pharmaceutical services list consistently meet the agreed terms of service. There are also few options for addressing instances where businesses do not fully align with the expectations of the commissioners of services. This could include situations where patient access is unintentionally reduced, staffing levels are insufficient, or there are challenges related to governance, financial management, or compliance with equality standards. Strengthening these safeguards could help support a more consistent approach across all providers.
A new framework presents opportunities to incentivise consistency in the provision of high-quality services, secure access for patients, and for better conditions for the workforce. As this new chapter of the contractual framework unfolds, the PDA will continue to monitor developments, advocating for a balanced, collaborative, and pragmatic approach to ensuring that the voice of frontline pharmacists is heard loud and clear.
By PDA Director of Pharmacy, Jay Badenhorst
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