Editor's comment: Pragmatism, prescribing, and progress

Let’s face it, it’s not easy being a national pharmacy negotiating body – facing off against your sole benefactor, and demanding a better deal for struggling pharmacy owners to secure a stable future for community pharmacy and neighbourhood healthcare.  

It’s especially difficult in these politically, and financially tumultuous times.  

In ordinary circumstances a 10% increase in funding would have been considered a win (given the multiple years of stagnation), and the landmark inclusion of independent prescribing is also a big win. 

Of course, looking at the detail: the derisory funding allotted to prescribing, as well as the very limited scope (prescribing within the existing Pharmacy First clinical pathways and the Pharmacy Contraception Service), it is unsurprising that Community Pharmacy England’s view is that there is a risk pharmacy had been “set up to fail”, and that pharmacy owners will “decide on an individual basis whether they want to provide the service or prioritise the use of IP skills elsewhere.” 

That is a striking statement, and a serious warning for the government. As growth of private services in pharmacy continues, one wonders where the tipping point lies.  

Reading the heartfelt statements from CPE committee members, their angst at accepting this deal is clear, but their passion and ambition for the future of community pharmacy, and the opportunity to plug a bit of the £2.5 billion funding gap, overrode their instinct to reject the deal.  

Of all the pharmacy bodies CPE is the least likely (well, maybe behind the General Pharmaceutical Council) to be applauded for its work, but on this occasion, it has taken the pragmatic view to consolidate and re-enter the fray on a sounder footing.   

If the ultimate prize is reform of the community pharmacy contract to deliver a sustainable, fair reimbursement model that fully incorporates independent prescribing, and makes full use of the whole pharmacy team’s skills, then history will mark this down as a victory for CPE.