The Independent Pharmacy Contractors Network (IPCN) has urged the government to initially address the structural funding crisis faced by community pharmacy before introducing any new clinical responsibilities.
Reacting to Baroness Gillian Merron's comment that prescribing will form part of negotiations for the 2026/27 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF), the IPCN said it supports independent prescribing but that it should be backed by a robust, fully funded implementation framework.
IPCN said stabilising the community pharmacy network must be the immediate priority for ministers, before introducing further responsibilities for the sector, otherwise it would only add to the strain of an already fragile pharmacy business.
The network said that during the ongoing contractual discussions, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) must carefully assess any proposals put forward by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
It pointed out that the community pharmacy contractors have already undergone years of financial pressure and operational strain, and new responsibilities cannot be introduced without the necessary investment and infrastructure to support safe delivery.
Safe Pathways
IPCN said that prescribing services delivered through community pharmacies must be fully funded, including the enabling work required to establish a safe and effective clinical environment.
This includes appropriate clinical consultation rooms capable of supporting prescribing services and investment in secure and interoperable IT systems.
Before introducing the service, clinical governance frameworks and prescribing protocols should be in place.
Training should be provided to the workforce, and supervision arrangements should be implemented.
Pharmacies should be provided with administrative and operational support to run prescribing clinics.
IPCN said that without putting these foundations in place, it is not possible to provide a safe and sustainable rollout of prescribing services in community pharmacy.
It warned that any attempt to implement prescribing services prematurely would create unacceptable risks for patients, contractors, and the wider NHS system.
New Investment
IPCN is clear that any funding allocated to a community pharmacy prescribing service must be a new investment into the sector, and not sliced from the existing Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework budgets.
Community pharmacies are is already delivering a wide range of essential services with limited resources, and hence redirecting funds from the existing framework to support new clinical activity would add to their strain and undermine service delivery, it added.
Address Underfunding
The government should take measures to restore financial stability of the existing contractual framework.
IPCN pointed out that during last year's contractual framework talks, the DHSC had agreed that it would work towards addressing the structural underfunding of the sector.
The DHSC should now walk the talk by prioritising the stabilisation of the core contractual framework.
It should ensure the NHS medicines supply function and essential pharmaceutical services provided by community pharmacies is made financially viable.
Sustainable Services
IPCN also emphasises that any prescribing service must be supported by a robust financial framework that recognises the true value of clinical work undertaken by community pharmacists.
A prescribing service should move care from general practice into community pharmacy settings.
However, IPCN warns that this transition cannot be framed as a cost-saving exercise, and community pharmacy must not be viewed as a cheaper alternative to general practice.
Instead, IPCN believes the financial model must reflect the broader structural changes occurring within the NHS.
Community pharmacy can play a vital role within this wider system transformation, but only if the funding model recognises that the real savings occur through reduced hospital utilisation rather than through underfunding pharmacy services, it added.
NHS Reform
IPCN believes that, if implemented correctly, the community pharmacy prescribing service could significantly improve patient access to care and reduce pressure on other parts of the NHS.
Community pharmacies are located in the heart of local communities and are the most accessible parts of the healthcare system.
With the right investment, governance structures and workforce support, pharmacist prescribing could become a key component of modern primary care.
However, IPCN stresses that its success will depend on proper planning, realistic funding and meaningful engagement with pharmacy contractors.
IPCN spokesperson Mitesh Patel said, “Pharmacist prescribing has the potential to transform access to care for patients across England. Community pharmacies are already one of the most accessible parts of the NHS, and pharmacists have the clinical expertise to deliver high-quality prescribing services.
"However, this must not become another unfunded expansion of responsibility for a sector that is already under immense financial pressure.
"If the government wants community pharmacy to take on greater clinical roles, the infrastructure, governance and funding must be put in place first."
IPCN has called for full and transparent scrutiny of all proposals during contractual negotiations and comprehensive enabling infrastructure before any service launch.
