The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) has produced six steps to ‘pressure test’ any future pharmacy funding arrangements.

The union stressed that the contractual framework for the sector must ‘go beyond financial negotiations’ and prioritise the ‘practical realities of community pharmacy’.

It comes after news of a £3.073bn Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) has been agreed by Community Pharmacy England for 2025/26.

PDA director of pharmacy, Jay Badenhorst, said the sector needed a framework that ‘works for pharmacists and patients’ and has set out the union’s ‘six-step test’ for any new CPCF.

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These include a focus on workforce capacity, training, integrated healthcare pathways, patient awareness and the timing of services being introduced.

The PDA’s ‘six-step test’ for the new CPCF:

  1. Appropriate timing and pace – Will any new services be introduced at a realistic pace, ensuring safe and effective delivery?
  2. Training and preparedness – Will pharmacists and the wider pharmacy team have protected time for essential training before the rollout of new or expanded services?
  3. Workforce capacity and safety – Does the contract ensure adequate staffing levels and the right skill mix to maintain patient safety and service accessibility?
  4. Integrated healthcare pathways – Are effective IT systems and referral pathways in place to support seamless collaboration with the wider NHS and avoid the revolving door for patients?
  5. Inter-professional collaboration – Will other healthcare professionals be properly informed about their role in supporting any new pharmacy services or the expansion of existing services?
  6. Public awareness and demand management – Is there a robust public information campaign to set patient expectations and manage the demand effectively?

In addition to its test, the PDA warned that pharmacists must also ‘have a seat at the table’.

Mr Badenhorst said current negotiations lacked ‘direct input from the workforce that will ultimately be responsible for delivering these services’.

He also highlighted the need for ‘meaningful reform’.

‘There is so much potential for growth and [a] new pharmacy contract presents an opportunity to hardwire the sector into primary care and for it to truly be the first port of call for patients, however, the pharmacist workforce needs to be part of laying the groundwork,’ said Mr Badenhorst.

‘Contractual frameworks need to go beyond financial negotiations and prioritises the practical realities of community pharmacy.’

He added: ‘The profession is at a crossroads and without urgent reform, unsustainable workloads and workforce shortages could undermine the sector’s ability to deliver the safe, high-quality care that patients expect.

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‘Whilst delivering care to patients, pharmacists should build on the untapped clinical potential that will integrate pharmacy services into wider healthcare delivery plans to benefit the system in the long term.’

There are ‘limited mechanisms’ to ensure pharmacies ‘consistently meet the agreed terms of service’ under the current framework, said Mr Badenhorst, as well as ‘few options for addressing instances where businesses do not fully align with the expectations of the commissioners of services’.

‘This could include situations where patient access is unintentionally reduced, staffing levels are insufficient, or there are challenges related to governance, financial management, or compliance with equality standards. Strengthening these safeguards could help support a more consistent approach across all providers,’ he noted.

A new framework ‘presents opportunities to incentivise consistency in the provision of high-quality services, secure access for patients, and for better conditions for the workforce’, added Mr Badenhorst.

‘As this new chapter of the contractual framework unfolds, the PDA will continue to monitor developments, advocating for a balanced, collaborative, and pragmatic approach to ensuring that the voice of frontline pharmacists is heard loud and clear,’ he said.’

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Last week, The Pharmacist explored what the pharmacy minister’s vision for pharmacy reform would look like in practice.