2020 was probably the most challenging year that community pharmacy has ever faced, certainly in our professional memory. A combination of the ongoing funding cuts and the COVID-19 pandemic has been a perfect storm for pharmacy owners, pharmacists and their teams. Yet those same people have been magnificent in their response, putting their patients and their communities before themselves. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we all think and act and it has accelerated changes in consumer … [Read more...] about A new year, a new resolve
Leadership
Pharmacy Reset & Recover
As community pharmacy reflects on and learns from its excellent response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the time is now right to move forward and plan for reset and recover. Large multiple pharmacy groups are already announcing significant restructuring and remodelling plans in response to the financial, operational and landscape challenges, but where does that leave independent pharmacy? Negotiations on COVID-19 related costs have now begun plus discussions on next steps for implementation of the … [Read more...] about Pharmacy Reset & Recover
A new year, a new Government, a new NHS… what’s new for community pharmacy?
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, recently gave a speech on the newly elected Government's priorities for the NHS: Prevention: because prevention is better than cure People: because we need more people working smarter Technology: because patients and clinicians demand better Infrastructure: because buildings matter too. The following extract from the speech relates to Community Pharmacy and the prevention priority building on the Healthy Living Pharmacy … [Read more...] about A new year, a new Government, a new NHS… what’s new for community pharmacy?
New Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-2024
The English community pharmacy funding settlement for the next five years has been announced the first time that we have agreed a multi-year settlement. The agreement, set out in the new Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) which commences on 1st October 2019, aims to build on the clinical skills of community pharmacists and their teams which must be seen as a positive step. The Headlines Funding: The contract sum will remain unchanged at £2.592 billion until the end of … [Read more...] about New Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-2024
Planning for a sustainable future
The announcement of the funding settlement for the remainder of the 2018/19 financial year will not be well received by pharmacy owners in England. That, together with reinstatement of the temporarily postponed Category M overspend recovery, will create further cashflow and sustainability challenges for many owners, particularly independents. Unfortunately, this was predictable on the back of almost three lost years whilst the judicial review of the previously imposed and poorly implemented … [Read more...] about Planning for a sustainable future