The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) would still recommend that pharmacies reduce their services if the upcoming pharmacy funding offer does not meet its requirements, it has suggested.

Negotiations for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 Community Pharmacy Contractual Frameworks began this week, the government announced today.

NPA chair Nick Kaye said he welcomed the start of discussions 'after many months of delay'.

But pharmacies could still reduce services to contractual minimums if no satisfactory contract is agreed, he warned.

Risk patients may lose access to medicines

'So many pharmacies have struggled to stay in business so they can pay their bills and get vital medicines to patients. They are teetering on the edge and can't wait longer for this deal – they need a cash injection now,' said Mr Kaye.

'There is a real risk that people will lose access to medicines if pharmacies can't even afford to buy medicines to fulfil prescriptions.

'The situation is critical for patients and the public, so any deal from government must make significant progress towards filling the yawning funding gap that pharmacies face and it must open a clear route-map to reform and a sustainable future.'

He added: 'The alternative is continued closures, deteriorating health services for the communities we serve and an environment that leaves little scope to make the shift towards community care that we and the Government believe is so badly needed.'

Pharmacies could still reduce services if offer does not meet NPA tests

And he confirmed that the NPA still intended to recommend that its members reduce services to contractual minimums if the government's offer did not include:

  • increased funding,
  • payment in arrears,
  • equitable and transparent core funding, not dependent on other health providers,
  • a roadmap to reform the sector and the Drug Tariff,
  • and a mechanism to review funding regularly.

'We remain clear that if an offer were not to meet the tests set out by us earlier this month, we would be left with little choice but to recommend members reduce services in the interests of protecting patient safety and access to medicines,' Mr Kaye said today.

GPs expect deal in February

The NPA previously expressed outrage when GP contractors were offered a contractual framework beginning from April 2025 before negotiations had recommenced for the community pharmacy contractual framework 2024/25.

Yesterday GP representative Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer said the negotiations on the 2025/26 GP contract were expected to finalise in February.

And our sister publication Pulse revealed that the British Medical Association's GP Committee will allow GPs to vote on the offer at the special Local Medical Committees (LMC) conference in March.

The final decision on whether to accept the offer will then be taken at the GPC England meeting the following day (20 March), informed by the LMC vote, Pulse reported.

The conference will also see GP delegates debate escalation options with regards to collective and potential industrial action.