Community pharmacy is facing a ‘house of cards’ collapse – Janet Morrison

Janet Morrison, CEO of Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has emphasised that stabilization of the sector is essential before any solutions can be delivered
to fix the “struggling” health service.

Speaking at the recent SIGMA UK Community Pharmacy Conference 2024, Janet described the current contract as “unaffordable” and warned that pharmacies are
becoming “unsustainable.”

“Without an urgent funding uplift, the sector is facing a ‘house of cards’ collapse that will seriously impact communities, patients, and the safety of medicine
supply.

“So, first of all, we have to secure the stabilization. We have to make sure you can keep the lights on and the doors open, and that’s critical,” she stated.

Janet pointed out that if the sector is stabilized and a fair deal is achieved, community pharmacies could effectively deliver solutions for the government that
meet their policy goals.

However, she noted that negotiations for the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) for 2024-2025 cannot resume until the budget is published on October 30.