Contract changes: Core opening hours information

On Monday 31st March 2025, the details of the contractual settlement for 2025/26 were announced, which included changes to regulations around core opening hours.

This news story highlights key information within the briefing that we released after the announcement of the settlement.

Amendment of regs’ test for changing the days and times of core opening hours 

In recent years, many pharmacy owners have found it difficult to change the days and times of their core opening hours, which were often set many years ago.  

These regulatory amendments should enable pharmacy owners to change their opening hours to days and times that better serve their patients and likely users of the pharmacy, and in some cases, close at quiet times or out-of-hours. The amendments should also support pharmacies with operational and capacity issues. Generally, pharmacies only receive NHS funding to provide NHS services, not just to be open, so they need sufficient patient numbers during opening hours to meet the costs of opening. 

The Pharmacy Manual will also reflect this change and will clarify that the contractor’s evidence of the economic viability of their current opening hours should be considered alongside evidence of patient demand for the pharmacy’s services during these hours and other evidence relevant to the regulatory test. 

At quiet times, out-of-hours or on Bank Holidays, patients and likely users of the pharmacy may have to travel further to a pharmacy, for example, to one of the pharmacies that were permitted to open if they provided longer opening hours. Usually, these 100-hour pharmacies (now often open for only 72 hours) are open 5 – 9 pm Monday to Saturday and 11 – 4 pm on Sunday. 

Exceptionally, if an ICB wants a community pharmacy to be open at quiet times, out-of-hours or on Bank Holidays and no pharmacy is available, the ICB can go through a process to direct and separately fund the pharmacy to open. This may be assisted by an out-of-hours opening rota agreed with local pharmacy owners. 

Key points are: 

• Changing core opening hours remains an application process – the ICB must approve any proposed change.
• The total number of core opening hours must remain the same (another provision applies for applications to reduce the number of core opening hours).
• The new/proposed core opening hours must better meet the needs of patients and likely users of the pharmacy.
• A pharmacy owner’s evidence of the economic viability of their current opening hours may be considered by the ICB.
• The PLPS Regulations (Terms of Service) must be amended first – only then will this change be effective/apply.
• The Pharmacy Manual will be revised accordingly. 

This change will only be effective after the PLPS regulations have been amended.