National Pharmacy Association has welcomed the changes in Community Pharmacy England (CPE) committee and called for unity among pharmacy bodies to negotiate better with the government.
NPA chair Olivier Picard said, “It’s good that all the pharmacy bodies, including the Independent Pharmacy Association (IPA), Company Chemists’ Association (CCA), CPE and ourselves, agreed on an interim proposal to put to the CPE committee that will allow vital discussions on funding to go ahead this autumn.
"It’s important that all parts of our fast-changing sector are represented accurately so we’re pleased CPE will revisit representation when elections are due in 2027.
“It’s more apparent than ever that we need a united voice to make progress with the decision-makers in government who set our funding.
"The most important thing we can all do now is to get on with the work of influencing Ministers and the public who elect them at this pivotal time for community pharmacy and the wider health service.
"It is only by influencing the government, who set our funding, that we can get desperately needed sustainability for community pharmacy and the millions of patients who rely on them."
The changes are part of ongoing work on governance at CPE and follow independent expert recommendations to increase the number of 10+ multiple members of the Committee.
For the first time, they also provide the IPA appointment rights to CPE.
The decision comes after a meeting between CPE and the sector bodies – CCA, IPA, and NPA – over the summer, at which an interim agreement about composition was reached.
The interim arrangements will be in place until the Community Pharmacy England elections in April 2027.
This was the first meeting to be chaired by the new chair, Dame Jenny Harries.
The committee spent time at this meeting preparing for the critical upcoming CPCF negotiations.
This included reviewing all of the feedback received via summer events, polling, and directly from the three sector bodies – CCA, IPA, and NPA.
They also heard directly from PA Consulting, which has been continuing with economic work on community pharmacy funding.
