Embracing Disruption, Driving Success: Key takeaways from Pharmacy Business Conference

By Nicola Stockman

The Pharmacy Business Conference in Wembley on the 6^th of April was inspiring, reflective and forward thinking. With the beginning of the day being a chance to network and greet friends and colleagues as well as see key sponsors and their stands, it set the tone for the day to be one of collaboration and networking, facing into the future of pharmacy services together. This was highlighted by David Webb’s opening keynote on advances and plans for pharmacy as the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England.

Key points that stood out to me as I reflect on the day included:

Embracing disruption

• With a change of government, and a need to secure pharmacy as a priority within the health and social care agenda, it was reassuring to understand the thought process and successes of the 2025/6 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework. Whilst acknowledged by Janet Morrison OBE (CEO Community Pharmacy England) as a significant first step, it is welcomed by APTUK for the inclusion of pharmacy technicians delivering PGDs in the framework.
• With pharmacy closures, and an unprecedented demand on pharmacy as a staple of quality healthcare at point of access, this continues to provide challenges navigated by the pharmacy team daily. Furthermore, a recognition of medication shortages, and the ever-expanding place of patient-led self-care with OTC medications, with available expertise from the pharmacy teams for recommendations and a listening ear. I recognised in the moment both the pragmatism and passion displayed in balance from delegates and speakers with these discussions.

Driving success

• Pharmacy and data are a well-matched pair for business strategy and monitoring - data can target areas of focus and ensure decisions are evidence based and efficiently measured. Why not involve the pharmacy technicians within your teams to support the delivery and monitoring of this?
• AI and pharmacy can work well together, through learning of the potential, and harnessing it in business models where appropriate and safe to do so, it enables more patient facing care to be provided by the entire pharmacy team, maximising the strength and time for the essential human dimension of pharmacy services.
• There were wonderful discussions in the optimising service opportunities panel, reframing customers as patients, and listening to what their enquiries are, to indicate the services needed to provide local tailored patient-centred care. There was an explanation of a positive impact on income, utilising both private and NHS services with a multi-disciplinary approach as a result of this.
• Workforce changes are coming - scope of practice is a key phrase said by many, but what does this tangibly mean for the traditional pharmacy model of services? Myself as president of the professional leadership body for pharmacy technicians, APTUK, Robert Townsend (pharmacist and independent prescriber), Atul Patel (superintendent pharmacist) along with chair Amerjit Singh (MD of Skills4) discussed this. By investing in training for the whole team, pharmacy technicians, pharmacists and our pharmacy assistants, you can ensure morale, job satisfaction and all delivering within their scope of practice. The staff truly are the greatest asset to invest in for agile pharmacy services. This was completely aligned with Wole Ososami’s session, explaining how he won Pharmacy Business of the Year 2024 by involving and developing the whole team.

L-R: Nicola Stockman, Robert Townsend, Atul Patel, and Amerjit Singh

The theme of embracing disruption and driving success allowed the conference to show us all that for success we all need to face into the future of pharmacy.

Through utilising and developing the skills of the entire pharmacy team, we are our greatest asset. Built on a foundation of data, embracing AI and a contractual framework seeking to rebuild the deficit of underfunding for pharmacy, the future of pharmacy will be what we make it - together.