Community Pharmacy England (CPE), Company Chemists’ Association (CCA), National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) put out an open letter yesterday (June 6) urging all political parties to adopt the six-point plan for community pharmacy in their election pledges.
The letter warned that “without action, patients will find it harder to access the healthcare, expert advice and vital medicines they need”.
Read more: Conservatives pledge to expand Pharmacy First conditions if re-elected
The joint manifesto was launched in March 2024 and calls for election candidates to back a “six-point plan to unleash the potential of community pharmacy”, the bodies said.
#VotePharmacy manifesto
Pharmacy leaders are calling for the following commitments from parties in the upcoming general election:
1. Close the funding gap and commit to a long-term sustainable funding solution.
2. Support and enhance the community pharmacy workforce.
3. Enhance the community pharmacy workforce, to ensure that pharmacists and their teams can continue to meet the needs of patients now and in the future.
4. Rollout an enhanced Pharmacy First service for England.
5. Empower community pharmacists to do more” by creating an “ambitious roadmap for independent prescribing.
6. Make pharmacies centres of public health, prevention and reducing health inequalities.
Read more: C+D election tracker: How will pharmacy vote at the July 4 general election?
The RPS also put out their own election wish list on May 23 and have called for the below:
* Secure patient access to medicines.
* Support a better-connected NHS.
* Improve accessible prescribing in local communities.
* Maximise health improvement through locally accessible pharmacy teams.
* Support the workforce to deliver patient care.
* Unlock the potential of new advances in medicines.
* Support the UK’s global position in science and research.
No new contract
This news comes as CPE revealed earlier this week (June 3) that there would be no new pharmacy contract until “after the election”.
Read more: UPDATED: No new pharmacy contract until ‘after the election’, says CPE
CPE chief executive Janet Morrison said that discussions on the new one-year deal “can continue” but said that a “formal agreement” will need to wait until the general election is concluded and a new cabinet is appointed.
However, she added that the sector’s funding levels “remain critical” and that CPE will work “at pace” to complete the negotiations after the election.
