From the launch of the Pharmacy First service in England to the NPA’s historic first ballot and the RPS’ proposal to transition into a Royal College—discover 2024's biggest news here…
The year 2024 began on a positive note with the launch of the Pharmacy First service in England. This initiative allowed patients to receive treatment for seven common conditions directly from their community pharmacists, eliminating the need to visit a GP.
Pharmacists were authorised to provide advice and prescribe medicines for minor ailments such as sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women under 65.
Shortly after its launch, the service was available at over 10,000 community pharmacies, representing more than 90 per cent of all community pharmacies nationwide.
A report by the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) revealed that CCA members alone conducted over 90,000 Pharmacy First consultations during the program's first two months.
However, many pharmacies raised concerns about the lack of cooperation from GP surgeries, which they said was stalling the uptake of Pharmacy First service in some areas. Pharmacy owners also faced difficulty meeting the required number of clinical pathways for monthly Pharmacy First payments.
Thanks to Community Pharmacy England (CPE), which actively engaged with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to address this issue, the threshold was reduced to 20 for October, November and December.
NHS England relaunched its Pharmacy First campaign on 11 November, alongside new resources to help with promotion.
Here are some other key developments from 2024:
Wes Streeting pledges stability for community pharmacy
Addressing the Health and Social Care Select Committee in Parliament on 18 December, health secretary Wes Streeting pledged to stabilise the community pharmacy system before expanding its role in healthcare.
He stated that they would consult with Community Pharmacy England early in the New Year
He reassured pharmacists that the government recognises the the enormous pressures they face are under when thinking about allocations so that we can stabilise the system and create the foundations from which to recover.”
Streeting underscored that his top priority is to “stabilize the community pharmacy system” before advancing initiatives such as Pharmacy First and independent prescribing.
While envisioning a bigger rolerole for community pharmacies in shifting care from hospitals to the community, he stressed the urgency of addressing the sector’s current financial pressures.
The health secretary also reaffirmed that negotiations on the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) will begin early in 2025.
Streeting noted that he is collaborating with the minister for care to devise a package that will “initially stabilise the system and create a more stable foundation from which to build a better future for pharmacy.”
NPA ballot: Pharmacy owners vote to withdraw services
Almost all pharmacy owners in England who participated in the NPA ballot voted to reduce their opening hours to the minimum required by their contracts starting in January if the government fails to provide an acceptable resolution.
The ballot saw participation from over 63 per cent of NPA members across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, representing 3,049 independent community pharmacies in England alone, or 3,399 when including Wales and Northern Ireland.
NPA Chair Nick Kaye commented on the results, stating: “Pharmacies don’t want to reduce services but we will be left with no option but to suggest that pharmacy owners should consider acting on the clear ballot results if government does not act to protect this vital and much-loved part of our health service.”
He emphasised that a decade of underfunding has forced pharmacies into an “untenable position,” leading to a record number of closures.
According to NPA, 700 pharmacies have shut down in England over the past two years.
ByeByeUTI pilot scheme expanded across England
Following a successful pilot in North East and North Cumbria, the ‘ByeByeUTI’ scheme was expanded nationwide in February. It allows local pharmacists in England to provide treatment for patients with uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women under the age of 65, without the need for a GP appointment.
By February 15, 2024, over 30,000 women had received treatment for uncomplicated UTIs at local pharmacies since the pilot scheme's launch in July 2022.
UK COVID-19 Inquiry: Pharmacy bodies submit evidence
Representatives from the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) have presented their evidence to the Inquiry, which is examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare systems in the UK.
NPA chair Nick Kaye gave evidence to the Inquiry in November, highlighting the importance of building a “sustainable and resilient community pharmacy network” to enhance preparedness for future pandemics.
Kaye also stressed the need to recognise community pharmacists and their teams as integral members of primary care, highlighting that pharmacies were often overlooked and underappreciated during the pandemic.
The legal representative for the RPS delivered the statement during the Module 3 public hearings, underscoring the vital role of pharmacists and pharmacy teams during the pandemic, and emphasised the importance of early engagement with pharmacy stakeholders in the event of future pandemics.
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry published its first report on 18 July 2024. Baroness Heather Hallett, the Chair of the Inquiry, outlined 10 recommendations in the Module 1 report.
The Inquiry's next report is anticipated to be published in 2025.
Pharmacy Pressures Survey: Medicines supply report
The report released by Community Pharmacy England (CPE) in May 2024 exposed some alarming trends concerning medicine supply problems in the country.
Almost all pharmacy team members surveyed (97 per cent) surveyed reported patient frustration due to medicine supply issues, with 84 per cent of them saying they had experienced aggression from patients.
Pharmacy owners ranked medicine supply issues as one of the most severe pressures on their businesses, with 94 per cent of them reporting that their teams now spend more time sourcing medicines compared to the previous year.
Nearly all indicated an increase in ‘owings,’ where patients receive only part of their prescription and must return to the pharmacy for the remaining medication(s) at a later time.”
NPA launched #saveourpharmacies campaign
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) held a series of protest actions as part of its Save Our Pharmacies campaign to highlight the funding crisis affecting pharmacies.
Approximately 6,000 community pharmacies participated in the NPA’s first day of action on 20 June, taking a range of symbolic actions – such as turning off their lights, wearing black, and blacking out windows.
In a continued effort to highlight the ongoing impact of financial pressures on community pharmacies, the NPA held a second day of action on 19 September.
A cross-sector delegation presented the #saveourpharmacies petition signed by a record-breaking 350,000 people to No 10 Downing Street on September 19.
Nearly 1 in 6 pharmacies may close in 2025, CPE report
The 2024 Pharmacy Pressures Survey report, published by Community Pharmacy England (CPE), warned that rising costs, increased workloads, and a 30 per cent real-terms funding cut since 2015 were threatening nearly one in six pharmacies at risk of closure by 2025.
Based on input from over 6,100 pharmacy owners and 2,000 staff members, the survey highlighted severe financial struggles across the sector.
A staggering 94 per cent of pharmacy owners reported significant cost increases, with nearly two-thirds stating they are operating at a loss.
These financial pressures are not only jeopardizing businesses but also compromising the provision of essential patient services.
The report found that the majority of pharmacies are grappling with longer prescription dispensing times, delays in addressing patient inquiries, and reduced patient interaction time.
National Insurance rise upsets community pharmacies
Community pharmacies expressed concern about the increase in National Insurance and the national living wage in the new Labour government's first budget.
The Chancellor announced the £22.6bn increase in health spending, but the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) argued that “there's absolutely no mention in the Budget of action to halt the closure of our vital NHS pharmacy network, which has been shrinking at the rate of seven a week as pharmacies are forced to close through underfunding.”
Pharmacies were also ‘deeply worried' that the increase in National Insurance and the national living wage would add further pressure on them.
The employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) rate was increased by 1.2 percentage points to 15%, with effect from 6 April 2025. But the per-employee threshold at which employers start paying NICs has been reduced from £9,100 per year to £5,000 per year.
RPS proposes transition to Royal College
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), the professional leadership body for pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists in Great Britain, in September announced its proposal to transition into a royal college.
The proposed changes will require approval from RPS members through a vote before they can be submitted to the Privy Council for amendments to the organisation’s current Royal Charter and to charity regulators.
The vote is anticipated to take place in early 2025, with a two-thirds majority needed from voting members to move the changes forward.
Tase Oputu, chair of the RPS English Pharmacy Board, told Pharmacy Business that becoming a Royal College would elevate the status of the profession and strengthen the RPS’s ability to” raise the profile of pharmacy, advocate for change and advance the safe and effective use of medicines for the benefit of patients and the public.”
“RPS will gain a more authoritative voice in policy discussions, allowing us to advocate more effectively for the role of pharmacy in the healthcare system. This positions us to more powerfully champion policies that elevate pharmacy practice and improve patient outcomes,” she added.
Paul Rees steps down as NPA chief executive
Paul Rees MBE announced his resignation as chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) to take on a new role as interim chief executive and registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
He will join the NMC on a one-year contract starting January 20, where he will oversee the development of a multi-year programme aimed at transforming the NMC's culture and performance.
The NPA is expected to appoint its next chief executive early in the New Year.
