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The latest news from the National Pharmacy Association...

NPA priorities for 2026

National Pharmacy Association chair, Olivier Picard reports from September’s NPA board meeting, which considered future strategy as well as current NPAactivity...

We’re at a pivotal moment in community pharmacy in so many ways. The ongoing funding crisis in parts of the UK, the fundamental reform of the NHS in England and the evolution of pharmacy services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland make it more important than ever that we have an effective NPA, led by pharmacy contractors for pharmacy contractors.

With 1,600 national media mentions so far this year, no one has done more than the NPA to raise the reputation of our sector. We’ll campaign for community pharmacy, support calls for adequate funding and keep the profi le of our network high in all parts of the UK.

With class-leading insurance supporting business and innovation, and with clinical and business advice not available elsewhere, we will support you now, and help you prepare for the future in a rapidly changing health environment.

We’ll bring our community of professionals together better than ever before and help us all connect, because when we work together and share our ideas, we are stronger. NPA market research will underpin a ‘future pharmacy programme’ that supports our members to achieve transformative business change.

We discussed in detail the broken contract in England and the funding gap that remains – and how that sits with the funding issues in Wales and Northern Ireland and the ongoing need to support clinical development in Scotland.

Board members scrutinised our learning and development o ering, our insurance – which remains brilliant value – our policy work and our pharmacy advice team to make sure they are providing maximum value to you as members.

We’re making sure we support our negotiating bodies, but also feed back strongly the feelings of our members. There’s so much more than I can report here. I’m proud that the NPA is doing more than ever before, but we won’t rest on that. All our businesses depend on it.

Benefits of NPA membership

The NPA is constantly adding value to its membership o er. For example, did you know that NPA members can now access enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for employers at a discounted rate? If you are an NPA member, please make the most of your membership by leafi ng through the brochure on the NPA Membership hub and using the wide range of services on offer.

Ask Your Pharmacist Week reminder

This year’s Ask Your Pharmacist Week (AYP) will take place from 3-10 November. AYP is the foremost UK-wide public awareness campaign for community pharmacy, providing an annual platform for promotional activities and a prompt for conversations with stakeholders at local level about community pharmacy services.

Many pharmacies also use the week as an opportunity to invite local politicians and dignitaries to visit, to learn about the skills and services on offer. More details will be released soon. Pharmacy owners, pharmacy teams and stakeholders wishing to discuss how they can take part should email the NPA head of communications, Stephen Fishwick at s.fishwick@npa.co.uk

Pharmacy funding is back inthenews

Once again, it’s been an extremely busy period in the national media, with the NPA collaborating with Community Pharmacy England to release new figures about the state of pharmacy finances inEngland.

The underlying message to ministers and the NHS remains that the funding uplift announced earlier this year still leaves the sector far short of the funds necessary to sustain the level of service patients need and that the Ten-Year Health Plan demands.

Our combined survey data revealed that nearly half of pharmacy owners had been forced to remortgage their homes or raid personal savings in the last year to subsidise the cost of medicines for patients, with services being put at risk.

We warned that many pharmacies in England are still teetering on the brink. No NHS service should be being propped up by the personal savings or mortgages of the individuals running it!

International pharmacy report

NPA director of corporate affairs, Gareth Jones, reports from this year’s International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) congress in Copenhagen...

It was great to spend a few days with pharmacist colleagues from around the world, representing the NPA at this year’s FIP.

The event covered a diverse range of topics from the growth of point-of-care testing to 3D printing of pharmaceuticals, and from clinical service developments to changes within global supply chains driven by increases to tariffs in the US.

Naturally each country has its own unique challenges and opportunities. Canada continues to be one of the leading nations in terms of innovation – with their pharmacy clinic model among many other initiatives. Indeed, their services were referenced in the recent 10-year plan.

US pharmacies are currently being hit very hard by changing market dynamics, with several closing permanently every single day.

When our pharmacy colleagues from outside look at the UK they are impressed by many of our new services, and our success at moving forward the independent prescribing agenda with all newly qualified pharmacists having this capability from next year.

While there is still much work to do to embed independent prescribing in community pharmacy, the foundations are now well established. But they are equally surprised at the way we are so reliant on the decisions of the NHS, as the provider of more than 90 per cent of the revenue for UK pharmacies.

This does leave us uniquely exposed when the NHS won’t pay the full economic cost of the service, as highlighted earlier this year in the IQVIA/Frontier Economics Independent Economic Review.

Ultimately, most of the issues we are dealing with are very similar. Many community pharmacy networks throughout the world are struggling financially. We all have to contend with a sometimes fragile global supply chain.

On the positive side, community pharmacies are appreciated and trusted by patients across the world. And we all have a signifi cant opportunity, with the right support from governments, to play a growing role helping health systems across the world cope with ageing populations, a growing burden of ill health and the need to provide more accessible health services to the public in their own communities.

NEW AND POPULAR NPA RESOURCES

Available on the NPA Membership Hub

NHS Flu Service

We have updated our resources ahead of the Autumn/Winter 2025/2026 Flu Service.

Weight management

We have addressed a number of top queries on Mounjaro in our clinical update, covering a range of clinical queries, from switching between GLP-1RAs to stopping GLP-1RAs.

We have issued an NPA and NPA Insurance position statement – prescribing and supply of GLP-1 medicines – to members to provide guidance to ensure patient safety, to ensure members are undertaking defendable clinical practice.

Patient safety (Near Miss Audit template)

We have developed a new Near Miss Audit template to capture and analyse potential errors within the pharmacy. This tool helps identify patterns or trends that could lead to incidents, enabling proactive measures to enhance safety.

NMS Regulatory changes (England)

Following the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework deal: 2024- 2025 and 2025-2026, regulatory changes to clarify subcontracting to third parties with the New Medicine Service were proposed. The updated draft Service Specifi cation included some clarifi cation on these changes. Our update looks at these changes and how they are affecting pharmacies.

London Assembly investigates weight loss medicines

Our vice-chair Sukhi Basra braved the tube strike to travel to City Hall to speak to London Assembly members about weight loss injections and make the case for commissioning them through community pharmacies.

Sukhi highlighted our members’ dedication to supporting patients on their weight loss journey by answering their questions on weight loss injections, providing wrap-around support, and providing clinical advice in a safe, regulated community pharmacy.

Sukhi also highlighted the safeguarding our members undertake while identifying people who may not be suitable for the jab due to breastfeeding, genetic predisposition to pancreatitis, and a history of eatingdisorders. Our public affairs and policy team followed up with recommendations for how the London Assembly and other bodies can work together to tackle the capital’s weight loss jab black market.

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 & 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 confidence that you’re working with suppliers who understand pharmacy.

NPA Connects: community-powered marketing

Marketing can be time-consuming and costly – but with NPA Connects, members can save time, money, and effort. By joining forces with other members, you benefi t 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 localpresence.

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.

Latest policy consultations - medicines substitutions

Did you know that the NPA responds to numerous governmental and NHS policy reviews each year?

The latest includes a UK government proposal to amend the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to increase pharmacist flexibilities when dispensing medicines, by enabling pharmacists working in a community pharmacy to supply a di erent strength or formulation (which may mean a di erent quantity) of the same medicine originally prescribed, in certain circumstances.

The aims of this proposal are to improve patient access to medicines, reduce the burden on healthcare systems; and improve person-centred care. The NPA has long called for pharmacists to be able to make substitutions where a medicine is not in stock and it is safe to do so.

It is good the government has now listened to the NPA and others and have launched a consultation on this issue. The status quo is not only frustrating for patients, it is also dangerous. It is madness to send someone back to their GP to get a prescription changed when a safe alternative is in stock.

It risks a patient either delaying taking vital medication or forgoing it altogether, which poses a clear risk to patient safety. However, any changes introduced must be simple and provide genuine fl exibility to pharmacists. They should not just be an extension of existing out of date systems that do not help pharmacists adequately manage systemic and sporadic medicine.

NPA meets pharmacy minister

This month our CEO Henry Gregg was invited to a special ministerial briefi ng event in Parliament with Stephen Kinnock MP, the Minister of State for Care, chaired by Dr Simon Opher MP. The meeting focused on the future of general practice and the NHS 10-Year Plan.

Attendees included senior GP leaders from the BMA, RCGP and NHSE. We were the only non-GP representatives at the meeting. Henry talked about the need for community pharmacy and general practice to work closer in collaboration to deliver integrated and seamless care for patients.

Foundation pharmacist training (England)

Do you have a foundation trainee pharmacist? The NPA has launched a fully online version of its excellent foundation training package to support trainees with their clinical and practical knowledge in preparation for the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) assessment.

Materials include practice quizzes, mock and mini-mock assessments, calculation drop-in sessions, and webinars/ workbooks/reading materials. Short, live online study sessions enable the course to fi t around the busy foundation training year and the NHSE programme.

The course is laid out to reflect clinical therapeutic areas, making revision streamlined. Enrolments for the online programme are open now! There will soon be the option to purchase the foundation exam support package (only £175) for trainees taking the GPhC assessment in 2026 to familiarise themselves with questions and identify areas for revision.

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

Five things every NPA member should know about the HR,Health & Safety service

HR support is here to give your pharmacy the protection, clarity, and confi dence it needs to thrive. Whether you’re looking to safeguard your business, streamline people management, or create a positive workplace culture, the NPA’s HR services help you achieve it.

Expert advice at your fingertips

Running a pharmacy means balancing patient care with the demands of managing people. With NPA membership, you don’t have to face HR or compliance issues alone. Our dedicated Employment Law, HR and Health & Safety advice line teams are here to provide free, confi dential guidance whenever you need it – helping you make the right decisions quickly and with confi dence. Resources that save you time Every pharmacy needs clear, compliant policies to support both sta and business operations. That’s why we provide a suite of ready-to-use resources, including handbooks, bcontracts and policies tailored for the sector. No need to start from scratch – everything is designed to help you stay compliant while protecting your team and your business.

Access to essential training with LearningNest

NPA members get 90 days’ free access to LearningNest – a trusted eLearning platform packed with workplace courses that strengthen your HR and compliance knowledge. Topics include:

• Violence and aggression management

• Conducting e ective risk assessments

• Preventing discrimination and harassment in the workplace.

Clarity with CaseNest

Managing HR cases can feel overwhelming, especially when multiple issues overlap. CaseNest gives you a real-time view of all your ongoing cases and their full audit history, helping you stay organised, compliant, and in control of the details that matter most.

Free HR record storage with PeopleNest

Keeping track of staff documents doesn’t need to be complicated. With PeopleNest, included free as part of your membership, you can securely store and manage HR records and documents in one place – easy to retrieve, easy to keep compliant.

Pharmacists could save the NHS billions

Leading economists have shown that the NHS could save billions of pounds through an expansion of pharmacy services that help patients use their medicines effectively.

The York Health Economics Consortium (University of York) modelled a potential £1.2 billion of savings and calculated other large scale benefits – driving a further £2.7 billion of value in health outcomes for the NHS - in a research report prepared for the National Pharmacy Association.

It analysed the possible economic benefits of expanding the reach of current NHS services and the potential gain from commissioning new pharmaceutical care services, based on evidence from published literature. Savings were identified from helping people stay healthier, avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions and also deprescribing medicines that are no longer required.

Full use of one service alone – the NHS Discharge Medicines Service – could relieve pressure on wards by releasing nearly an extra million days currently spent in hospital beds. Offering Structured Medication Reviews in community pharmacy has the potential to save a large amount of GP practice time and reduce NHS costs, particularly if this is targeted at people currently taking potentially addictive medicines.

The data shows potential benefits for patients equivalent to over 100,000 years of additional healthy life per annum – so called ‘Quality Adjusted Life Years’.

NPA chief executive, Henry Gregg, said: “This compelling new report shows how better patient outcomes could be achieved for a reduced overall cost, given investment in medicines services provided by local pharmacies.

“This is a win-win-win. The public purse gains from a substantial return on investment; the NHS gains because we can relieve pressure on hospital beds; and, above all, patients enjoy longer, healthier lives.

“Patients using our medicines advice services already benefit from reduced pain, reduced hospital length of stay and improved overall physical and mental wellbeing. But we can go much further, if properly funded, to help patients and taxpayers.

"Ambitious pharmaceutical care that transforms people’s experience of medicines should sit right at the heart of our next community pharmacy contract and the government’s wider plans to implement its 10-year health plan.”