Work on the negotiations and implementation of the 2024/25 and 2025/26 community pharmacy contractual framework (CPCF) could go on until the summer, a Community Pharmacy England (CPE) subcommittee 'workplan' has suggested.

The agenda for CPE's services development committee set out an April - July timeframe to 'conclude and implement 2024/25 and 2025/26 negotiations and evaluate the economic implications for the future of the sector'.

In doing so, it said it would make 'best use of the outputs of the Independent Economic Review' – a long-awaited review promised by NHS England in the CPCF for 2022-24.

In summer 2025, the negotiator plans to 'agree a Community Pharmacy Plan with DHSC and NHS England'. This would include priorities for the 'enhancement of existing services and commissioning of new clinical services', including a Community Pharmacist Prescribing Service, the workplan said.

And in October 2025 - January 2026, CPE plans to undertake negotiations for the 2026/27 negotiations, 'seeking to achieve improved sustainability of the sector'.

A CPE spokesperson told The Pharmacist that the document is a workplan for the time period April 2025 to March 2026.

They said the plan 'relates to work which goes into negotiations, analysis, and any necessary implementation work'.

'Implementation work can go on for many months, depending on what is agreed, and work to influence government spending is ongoing,' the spokesperson added.

Earlier this week, the pharmacy minister was unable to give an estimate of when the pharmacy contract negotiations would conclude.

On Monday 3 February, shadow parliamentary under secretary for health and social care Dr Luke Evans asked Stephen Kinnock when he expects to conclude the consultation on the 2025 to 2026 funding contract, as well as how many meetings he has had with CPE since July 2024.

In response to both questions, the Department of Health and Social Care indicated that it was 'not possible' to give an answer within the usual time period.

The government sent a letter to CPE on Monday 27 January to signal the start of negotiations for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 funding agreements.

At the time, CPE chief executive Janet Morrison expressed 'relief' that the discussions were beginning following several delays.