September Committee meeting focuses on contractual reforms and forward planning
Community Pharmacy England met for a full Committee meeting on 16th and 17th September, with discussions largely focused on the contractual reforms programme, preparations for the 2027/28 CPCF negotiations and the political outlook.
Pharmacy owners continue to face significant financial and operational pressures, and Committee Members want their views and the realities of running community pharmacy businesses to remain central as reform options are developed with Government and NHS England.
At the September meeting, the Committee reviewed early progress on the joint programme of reforms agreed as part of the 2026/27 CPCF settlement. The reforms work is at an early stage and conversations with DHSC are covering a range of areas including dispensing and medicines optimisation; clinical services; access and market sustainability; margin and medicines supply; and regulatory and efficiency matters.
Discussions to date have focused primarily on shorter-term options across these areas that could inform the next negotiations. Members also considered the longer-term, more fundamental changes needed to support a sustainable and accessible community pharmacy network. A Reforms Steering Group of Committee Members will oversee the workstreams, prioritise key issues and help shape options for future Committee discussion and decision.
Feedback gathered at nine regional events and through polling over the summer was also considered by Committee Members. Echoing Community Pharmacy England’s own assessment, pharmacy owners welcomed the short-term funding uplift as better than expected while stressing that it did not address the sector’s longer-term funding pressures.
Community Pharmacy England will continue to engage with pharmacy owners, LPCs and sector bodies as the reform programme develops, ensuring their views inform discussions with Government and NHS England.
Forward planning
The Committee received strategic advice from Lexington public affairs agency on what the change of Prime Minister and recent Ministerial reshuffle mean for the sector and engagement with Government. You can read more about this in a blog from our CEO Janet Morrison.
Looking ahead, Members considered approach and ambitions for the 2027/28 negotiations, including what Community Pharmacy England should press for and how potential asks should be prioritised. Sector bodies have been invited to contribute their priorities.
The Committee also approved changes to Community Pharmacy England’s Constitution and Rules, reflecting the agreement reached with sector bodies on composition in June – read more on this here.
Subcommittee discussions
Policy and advisory subcommittees met in and around the main meeting to consider a range of topics, including implementation of independent prescribing into the CPCF, reforms topics like improvements to retained margin, LPC elections and event planning.
The Service Development Subcommittee (SDS) were very disappointed by the interim IT arrangements that DHSC and NHS England have put in place for the initial rollout of prescribing. You can read further information on the interim IT arrangements and our commentary on them on our Prescribing within the CPCF webpage.
Read more in the full meeting summary:
Briefing 022/26: Summary of September 2026 Committee Meeting
Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England, said:
“The contractual reforms programme secured as part of the 2026/27 settlement is about more than improving the current system; we must create the conditions for community pharmacy to thrive in the years ahead.
“While we are exploring shorter-term opportunities to support the sector and inform the next CPCF negotiations, we are also considering the longer-term work needed to deliver more fundamental changes. This is complex work that will take time, but we will continue to engage with pharmacy owners, LPCs and sector bodies as this work develops, ensuring their views inform discussions with Government and NHS England.”
