CPCF support and next strategic steps focus at May Committee Meeting

Community Pharmacy England met earlier this month in London, with Members reviewing the ongoing work to support implementation of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) settlement, alongside strategic work to bolster the sector’s position ahead of future negotiations.

During the meeting on 1st May 2025, updates were provided on the work to implement different elements of the CPCF settlement, with much of the detail discussed and scrutinised in the relevant subcommittee meetings that took place before the main plenary session, on 30th April.

A significant programme of work is underway to support pharmacy owners in preparing for the changes set out in the CPCF settlement and introducing the surrounding legal provisions to make those changes happen. We will also be holding the Government to account on its numerous commitments to improve things for the community pharmacy sector.

The latest information, guidance and resources on all aspects of the CPCF settlement can be found on our dedicated webpage: cpe.org.uk/CPCF

The settlement is the first step towards longer-term stability, and we are continuing to demonstrate how community pharmacy can help meet current Government priorities.

The investment case for the sector is being made, both publicly and inputting into Government processes, as the NHS 10-Year Plan and Spending Review are being prepared. Committee Members discussed the tactics and approaches to leverage community pharmacy’s position, in line with our wider strategy for the sector.

We welcome support from pharmacy owners and LPCs with this work– please use the resources on our Engaging with politicians webpage.

LPC leaders from the South London region attended part of the meeting to talk with Committee Members, observe subcommittee meetings and provide feedback from local pharmacy owners.

Read more in the full meeting summary:

Briefing 012/25: Summary of May 2025 Committee Meeting

Funding and Margin

Work to make important funding related commitments happen is underway, including those to examine margin delivery. The Committee considered the approach to margin run rates and the ongoing work to improve margin distribution. This includes detailed work being carried out on the impact of branded generics on margin.

Margin was a key topic during April’s CPCF events and as work continues, the Funding and Communications Teams will consider further ways communicate about margin, such as the recent Margin Explainer.

Strategic Projects

PA Consulting, an independent consultancy with extensive experience working across Government, has been undertaking extensive economic work to provide further evidence of community pharmacy’s current and future funding needs. The Committee received an update on the work undertaken to date, which has included:

• Future of sector – evaluating the impact that different funding and commissioning decisions would have, and highlighting the value of community pharmacy services.

• Evaluation of retained margin – examining whether the margin system is currently working as intended and exploring several hypotheses for its potential improvement.

A third element of this workstream – evaluation of contracting and funding models – will begin shortly.

The Audit and Risk Subcommittee recommended that a Strategic Projects Working Group (formed of pharmacy representatives from across the Committee) be established to provide support and insights to PA Consulting as it embarks on this work – this was approved.

Additionally, a further project on branded generics is assessing the scale of the problem and considering potential solutions. Initial key themes and possible routes to action have been identified, but there is still more detailed work to do, and the Committee discussed the wider issues that need to be factored into the final report. The findings will inform discussions with Government on the impact of prescribing activities – including Branded Generics – on margin that was included in the CPCF settlement.

Pharmacy Owner Polling

In reviewing analysis from the 2025 Pharmacy Pressures Survey and post-settlement opinion polling, Committee Members noted that the findings largely confirmed their own experiences of the continued pressures and lack of confidence in terms of business investment. We will be making constructive use of all this valuable data in ongoing influencing work and discussions with Government.

Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England, said:

“With critical Government plans – the Spending Review and NHS Ten Year Health Plan – which will impact budgets for the rest of this Parliament being finalised in the next few weeks, we are continuing to input into these processes and to sustain Parliamentary pressure, making the case for investment in pharmacy using the outputs of our strategic work and polling. Community pharmacies still face a significant funding deficit, and we will be holding Government’s feet to the fire to make sure that they follow through on their commitments to a sustainable future.

Work is ongoing on margin, and we are preparing for future negotiations. We’ve also been carrying out a significant programme of work to follow through with DHSC and NHS England on implementing the CPCF settlement, supporting pharmacy owners with the changes.”

Meeting Summary

Briefing 012/25: Summary of May 2025 Committee Meeting
This briefing provides more detail on the discussions the Committee had.