National pharmacy contracts

Government to change legislation to make ‘consolidation’ of pharmacies easier

The government is looking at changing legislation to support community pharmacy contractors who may be considering consolidating pharmacies because it says there are too many pharmacies in operation.…

New clinical roles in cardiovascular disease and hepatitis C in community pharmacy contract

Community pharmacists could be involved in detecting undiagnosed cardiovascular disease under plans laid out in the ‘The Community Pharmacy Contract Framework for 2019/20 to 2023/24’.…

We’re grateful for the clarity, but the new pharmacy contract fails to fix our broken market

The new community pharmacy contractual framework offers pharmacists some hope of a future, but the flawed Category M reimbursement system — which sees only wholesalers cashing in the chips — still needs to go.…

DHSC to reform Category M reimbursement prices by April 2020

The government has proposed adjusting Category M drug reimbursement prices to ensure that pharmacy contractors are receiving equitable access to the medicines margin.…

Pharmacies incentivised to cut back on sales of sugary drinks

Community pharmacies have been asked to cut back on the number of sugary drinks they sell as part of the new contract framework for the sector.…

A&E could refer patients to community pharmacy under new five-year contract

Patients in A&E could be sent to see a community pharmacist instead of a doctor under a future expansion of the scheme that currently refers patients from NHS 111 and general practice.…

Five years of flat funding presents a challenge for community pharmacy, say pharmacy organisations

Five years of fixed funding will prove challenging for an “already financially strained sector”, pharmacy organisations have warned after the government published the latest community pharmacy contract on 22 July 2019.…

Community pharmacy contract funding frozen at £2.59bn for next five years

Community pharmacies in England are set to receive £13bn over the next five years under the latest national contract, with a planned spend of £2.59bn each year.…

Better price concession system among NPA demands for community pharmacy contract negotiations

The National Pharmacy Association has outlined a list of eight demands for the next community pharmacy contract in a letter sent to the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee.…

Emergency contraception services should be commissioned nationally as part of community pharmacy contract, CCA says

The Company Chemists’ Association has called on NHS England and other healthcare bodies to establish a single national pharmacy specification for emergency hormonal contraception services to be used by all healthcare commissioners in England.…