Numark chief executive John D'Arcy has called the NPA's decision to break away from Pharmacy Voice "a poorly timed retrograde step" that "flies in the face of pharmacy unity".

In a statement, Mr D'Arcy questioned whether Pharmacy Voice would survive without the support of one of its key partners and called for togetherness within the profession. "The demise of Pharmacy Voice would see a return to the all too familiar days of fragmentation within pharmacy and associated mixed messages."

Community pharmacy had historically suffered from fragmentation and the lack of a coherent voice, said Mr D'Arcy. And Pharmacy Voice – as a confederation – provided the opportunity of a single voice for community pharmacy in England while retaining the identities of constituent organisations.

Pharmacy Voice had made considerable progress in recent years in developing a blueprint for the future of community pharmacy – the most recent example of this being the Community Pharmacy Forward View.