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Data will be key. We must show where the demand is, the value we deliver and the outcomes we achieve, says Harry McQuillan…

As we step into 2026, it’s clear that community pharmacy stands at a pivotal moment.

The NHS’s 10-year plan sets out an ambitious vision for transforming care, putting more focus on prevention, delivering care closer to home, and making the most of every clinical resource in our health system.

If community pharmacy is to play a central role in that transformation, we need to be recognised and take our place as fully integrated, trusted partners in the delivery of primary care.

At Numark, our 12 Principles of Community Pharmacy Practice provide a blueprint for how we can deliver on that promise, supporting both patient care and the sustainability of the network that we all rely on.

Unlock our full potential

The NHS plan, and wider system ambitions, set a clear expectation: more care delivered locally, earlier intervention, and a stronger focus on prevention. Community pharmacies already deliver accessible, trusted care every day.

To unlock our full potential, pharmacy must be seen as an essential part of the wider health system. That means expanding clinical roles, harnessing technology intelligently, and ensuring commissioning recognises and rewards the value we bring. We have to be integrated with read and write access to patient clinical records.

Our 12 Principles are designed to make this vision practical. They start with a simple idea, community pharmacy teams can improve population health and help manage healthcare demand as part of a fully integrated system.

Integration must be more than words, it needs to be tangible, in shared care pathways, interoperable data, and genuine collaboration with general practice and the wider primary care network.

Community pharmacies will remain critical local assets, providing accessible, high-quality care. Prescribing and supply should happen in the same premises wherever possible, simplifying the patient journey and expanding clinical input.

Data will be key, we need to show where the demand is, the value we deliver, and the outcomes we achieve, and ensure services are flexible enough to respond to the different health systems across the UK.

Services are at the heart of what we do. Pharmacists must be empowered to use their full clinical expertise, particularly in prescribing, to improve patient outcomes.

A consistent offer of NHS-funded care

Pharmacy teams should deliver more clinical services, including prevention, urgent care, and early identification of health risks. A consistent offer of NHS-funded care across all pharmacies, with flexibility for local tailoring, will be essential.

Safety and technology form the third cornerstone. Medicines supply remains core, and it should be safely delegated and supported by skilled technicians and robust systems, allowing pharmacists to focus on the benefits of prescribed medication, optimising disease state control, symptom relief and patient safety.

Technology is not an optional extra, it must improve safety, efficiency, and service delivery, from automation to shared digital care records that enable truly integrated workflows.

To make these principles a reality, we need three things from the NHS and commissioners:

·     - Fair, sustainable funding that supports essential services and rewards clinical care, as well as dispensing volume.

·     - Integrated commissioning frameworks that recognise pharmacy’s role in prevention, long-term condition management, and urgent care.

·    - Local autonomy so that networks of pharmacies can work with local systems to meet population health needs within the national framework.

The opportunities in 2026 are real. NHS leaders are increasingly recognising pharmacists as prescribers and clinical decision-makers, and with all new pharmacists qualifying as independent prescribers this year, the potential to support primary care is enormous.

At Numark, and in my role as chairman, my commitment is to make sure the voice of community pharmacy is heard clearly.

We will champion our principles, push for the practical support needed to deliver them, and equip our members with the tools, insight, and partnership to turn vision into reality.

Together, we can ensure community pharmacy is not a footnote in the NHS 10-year plan, but a leading, trusted, and essential partner in the future of healthcare.

Harry McQuillan is the chairman of Numark.