In NPA Essential

Follow this topic

Bookmark

Record learning outcomes

This month's news from the National Pharmacy Association... 

NPA Future Pharmacy Network

A message from NPA chief executive Henry Gregg...

You’re probably familiar with the old phrase, the only constant in life is change. This applies as much to community pharmacy as it does anywhere else.

What would the pharmacists of yesteryear make of modern pharmacy practice, with its independent prescribing, video consultations, electronic prescriptions, healthy living champions, dispensing robots and weight loss jabs? Potentially game-changing technologies like pharmaco genomics and artifi cial intelligence could soon be in play too - in fact this is happening already across health care and the momentum will build.

Progressive and modern

At the NPA, it’s been a long-held belief that pharmacies must be progressive and modern, while staying true to the historic values of pharmacy as a personal, caring profession.

Policy developments such as the 10 Year Health Plan for England are now adding to the pace of change, as is the case in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, perhaps to an even greater extent.

The plan states that over the next five years (not 10 years), community pharmacy will ‘transition from being focused largely on dispensing medicines to becoming integral to the Neighbourhood Health Service and offering more clinical services’.

Meanwhile, pharmacies across the UK are in a constant battle to stay afl oat with their current business model: over-dependent on a near monopoly paymaster, facing higher than ever employment costs, frequently hitting cash flow problems and propping up the business with the owner’s personal savings.

The Westminster government recently provided pharmacies in England with the first real-terms increase in funding for a decade – but the NHS’s own independent economic analysis of pharmacy finances found that pharmacies still face a £2.6 billion funding gap. The NPA’s own surveys show that many more pharmacy closures are likely without further investment.

Things cannot go on like this! Change is both necessary and unavoidable. That’s why the NPA is launching our Future Pharmacy Network – a series of case studies, practical guides and market insights to help pharmacy businesses transform what they do.

We’ll be rolling out a series of resources over the next few weeks – practical, actionable ideas and insight that you can implement.

The aim is to help support pharmacies to move away from their current, dispensary focused, business model to a sustainable, service-driven future – with more diverse revenue streams, inside and outside the NHS.

The project will help NPA members to maximise NHS income and also deliver private services that require minimal cost to serve. Key to our approach is to draw on the real-life experience of pharmacy owners and pharmacy teams – to inspire others and demonstrate that change can be on your own terms and implemented strategically, rather than reacting in panic to yet another alarmingP&L.

Ever since my fi rst week as chief executive of the NPA, I’ve spent at least two days a week on the road meeting members. These visits leave me in no doubt that independent pharmacies are highly adaptable and innovative, and prepared to take the change journey needed to survive and thrive in the yearsahead.

I’m determined that NPA members will not be left to make this journey alone. It’s our duty to help pharmacies evolve as vital health and wellbeing services, meeting the ever-changing needs of the population, addressing NHS priorities while also developing other clinical services – and securing our sector’s position as the front door to health in everycommunity.

Are patients willing to pay for pharmacy services?

Here are some of the key insights from consumer research commissioned by the NPA as part of our Future Pharmacy Network project. NPA members can access the full report with more in-depth fi ndings on the NPA membership hub.

Pharmacies play a vital role in UK healthcare

Over half of the UK population use pharmacies each month, most commonly for prescriptions, but also for health advice and support with minor conditions.

Convenience and accessibility are topdrivers

Pharmacies ease pressure on the NHS and GPs by providing patients with quick, reliable care for everyday health needs.

Environment matters

Clean, clinical, and well organised pharmacies with private consultation spaces are most appealing. Chains are valued for reliability; independents for personal service.

Strong appetite for clinical services

These include vaccinations, health screening, blood tests and consultations, while cosmetic treatments are a lower priority.

Digital services are indemand

Key interest in mobile apps, text reminders, and online health records, though some still value personal interaction.

Willingness to pay for pharmacy services

Over half of patients are open to paying for additional pharmacy services. However, many express concerns about charging for core healthcare, fearing it could restrict access and undermine the values of the NHS.

NPA evidence to the Treasury - Autumn Budget 2025

Did you know that the NPA responds to numerous governmental and NHS policy reviews each year? Here’s a summary of our written submission to the Treasury, ahead of the Autumn Budget this month:

Community pharmacies are vital to the NHS and the health of the nation’sworkforce. Community pharmacies offer walk-in access to medicines and clinical advice, and healthy living services in every neighbourhood that are already delivering some of the government’s ambitions for prevention, workforce health, and neighbourhood care on the high street.

Development of already regulated professionals and premises, making full use of independent prescribing, would be the most cost-e ective way to achieve the ambitions of the 10-year health plan. Instead, we are at risk of losing this resource as they face a severe fi nancial crisis.

Core funding in England has fallen by over 40% in real terms over the last fi ve years, leading to more than 1,200 pharmacies closing. Half of all community pharmacies are operating at a loss.

Rising activity, costs, taxes, inflation, and medicine price volatility have left the sector at breaking point. By providing transformation and capital funding to stabilise the overall funding situation, and reforming the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (including expanding medicines optimisation services), the left shift to community care can be supported and billions in savings can be delivered, improving outcomes and relieving wider NHS pressures.

The NPA’s recommendations:

• Stabilisation: Urgent financial support, including business rates relief and sustainable workforce funding.

• Contract reform: Reform repeat management and supply through My Medicines, releasing GP capacity, Simplified block payments for essential services, outcome-based funding linked to prevention and long-term condition support, and medicines margin reform.

• Medicines optimisation: Every £1 spent on the New Medicine Service generates £33 back into the NHS, and discharging patients from secondary care into the Discharge Medicines Service can prevent hospital readmissions and reduce length of stay. Fully realising pharmacy’s potential in medicines optimisation and medicines monitoring for long-term conditions could save the NHS over £1bn while improving outcomes valued at billions more.

• Work with Community Pharmacy to reduce sickness absences: Recognise the role community pharmacy plays in the viability of the local economy and in keeping the working-age community in good health.

Building the case for investment

We were delighted to get some great national profi le for our new report on medicines optimisation – which shows that investment in community pharmacy could save the NHS huge sums and have enormous positive benefi ts for patients.

Stephen Kinnock, the health minister, was keen to see the report when we met him at the Labour Party conference. This is all part of our strategy of showing ministers that they need to fix community pharmacy funding to generate big rewards for the NHS and for patients.

Scottish Forum

Thank you to the many members from across Scotland who attended our recent forum to discuss Digital Prescribing and Dispensing Pathways, Hub and Spoke and Supervision with NPA board member Sehar Shahid and Jasmine Shah and Janice Oman from the NPA team. It’s great to bring colleagues together to share ideas. Thanks also to Dr Sam Patel at NES, Adam Osprey from CPS and Louise Laban from Centred Solutions.

NPA meets Northern Ireland Minister forHealth

It’s vaccination season and we were pleased that Minister for Health, Mike Nesbitt, met our board colleague Joanne McMullan and her team, to hear of their work in promoting vaccineuptake. The minister spoke to a number of patients who were fulsome in their praise of the team, and their skills in assisting with first aid, early detection of skin cancer and going above and beyond to source alternatives when medicines are in short supply.

Maximise your NPA membership

NPA membership is more than a subscription – it’s an investment in your success!

To ensure you are maximising your NPA membership, we want to highlight some of the lesser-known ways your NPA membership works harder for you.

Beyond core services like training, advice, and HR, Health and Safety support, here are several extra benefi ts designed to help your pharmacy grow, connect, and save:

Business insights at your fingertips

Every month, members receive a Local Market Insights Report straight to their inbox. These reports provide a clear snapshot of your pharmacy’s performance across key metrics – from prescription item growth to GP practice engagement and service delivery. You’ll also see how you compare with local competitors and industry benchmarks, helping you identify strengths and areas for improvement. With actionable insights on dispensing trends and service claims, these reports make it easier to optimise operations, support patient care, and stay competitive.

Access to Trusted Partners

Running a successful pharmacy usually means juggling many business functions – from staffing and finance to equipment and utilities. That’s why we’ve built a network of over 40 carefully vetted Trusted Partners. Each partner has been chosen for their reliability, reputation, and expertise, giving you confi dence that you’re working with suppliers who understand pharmacy.

NPA Connects: communitypowered marketing

Marketing can be time consuming and costly but with NPA Connects, members can save time, money, and e ort. By joining forces with other members, you benefit from greater purchasing power and reduced costs, while gaining access to easy-to-use tools for:

• Direct mail and social media campaigns

• Door drops and digital advertising

• In-store posters, banners, and more.

It’s a simple, effective way to raise awareness, attract new customers, and strengthen your local presence.

Cashback opportunities

Membership doesn’t just give you access to services – it also gives money back. Members can earn cashback in several ways, including:

• Referring new members

• Completing Level 3 Pharmacy Technician training

• Completing Level 2 courses.

Trusted Partners

We want to introduce you to a new Trusted Partner!

HappyOrNot is a global leader in customer feedback management, offering omnichannel, micro-survey solutions that capture real-time insights across all areas of a pharmacy—from consulting rooms and vaccination services to dispensing counters and general sales.

These insights help NPA members to:

• Maximise customer satisfaction

• Streamline operational costs

• Trial new approaches with immediate feedback

• Demonstrate service value to the NHS and other stakeholders.

These tools provide a cost-effective way to gather in-moment feedback, enabling pharmacies to make data-driven decisions and continuously enhance service quality.

News and must do’s

Community Pharmacy Workforce Survey 2025 It’s a mandatory requirement for community pharmacies to take part in the 2025 community pharmacy workforce survey (England).

The survey closes on Friday 21November 2025.Check out the NPAmember hubfor guidance.

New Medicine Service (NMS)

From October 2025, further updates to the NMS in England took e ect, as detailed in the Department of Health and Social Care letter. These follow earlier changes fi rst introduced on 1 September2021 under the CPCF 2019/2020-2023/2024 agreement.

Pharmacy First Service (England)

Changes to clinical pathways are taking place from October 2025 – see our updatedresources.

Flu

Your questions answered – new FAQs are published on the membership hub.

Foundation exam support package

Look out for the NPA foundation exam support package (only £175) being launched in November.

This is for trainees taking the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) assessment in 2026 to familiarise themselves with assessment questions and identify areas for revision.

This includes online drop-in sessions, GPhC-style practice quizzes (covering clinical topics and calculations), and mini and full-length mock assessments with instant marking and access to the calculation workings for revision.

Deprived areas worst hit by pharmacy closures

We published new research into the local impact of pharmacy closures over the last three years, alongside the Local Government Association. Our research found that nine in 10 council areas had seen at least one pharmacy shut for good, with 75 per cent of the top 50 areas for closures having higher than average levels of deprivation.

The NPA called on the government to provide an urgent funding uplift or risk the NHS’s 10-year plan “failing before it has even begun”. We warned that new pharmacy services to take pressure awayfrom GPs could only be deliveredwith a sustained increase in pharmacy funding.

This was covered in the Mirror, LBC and many BBC outlets, together withITV. The NPA is really grateful to all the NPA members who took the time to speak to media about their own experiences, including Vikki Furneaux from Monkbar Pharmacy in York and Matt Harvey who runs Green Lane Pharmacy inLiverpool.

If you would like to take part in media interviews, or to tell your storyin other ways, please email press@npa.co.uk to express aninterest.