As community pharmacies face staffing crises, medicine shortages, and financial strain, sector leaders urge urgent reforms and gather sector-wide insights ahead of upcoming CPCF talks.
Pharmacy owners across England face a critical deadline to contribute their insights ahead of the next Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) negotiations. Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has called on pharmacy owners to complete its survey by 8 September, providing a vital opportunity for the sector to influence contractual reform, prioritise funding allocations, and propose regulatory changes to alleviate ongoing operational challenges. This consultation aims to ensure that upcoming CPCF adjustments reflect the real, frontline pressures confronting community pharmacies today.
According to the announcement, the survey seeks detailed feedback on service commissioning priorities and the feasibility of components within the NHS’s 10-Year Health Plan. This initiative emerges amid mounting financial strain within the sector. Data from CPE’s Pharmacy Pressures Survey 2025 underscores the difficult environment: of more than 800 pharmacy owners surveyed, nearly half (45%) admitted resorting to personal savings to sustain their businesses, and a mere 9% considered the business threats manageable even after the latest funding package was awarded. Janet Morrison, CPE’s chief executive, remarked on the sector’s predicament, stating that these concerns are “very much at the front of our minds” in preparation for the negotiations.
The financial landscape for community pharmacies in 2025/26 includes a £3.073 billion funding deal, supplemented by an additional £215 million that contractors can earn through enhanced services like Pharmacy First, blood pressure monitoring, and contraception provision. Notably, the medicines margin has been increased to £900 million, and the single activity fee (SAF) was raised by 19 pence, effective April 2025. Despite these financial commitments, pharmacies continue to face formidable challenges.
Among the most pressing is the persistent issue of medicine supply shortages, which has worsened according to a CPE 2025 annual pressures survey. Nearly three-quarters of pharmacy owners reported spending “longer than ever before” procuring medicines, with no signs of improvement since the previous year’s poll. The survey highlighted that 95% of pharmacy teams observed that patients remain inconvenienced by medicine shortages, with 73% warning that these shortages jeopardise patient health. Moreover, 79% of respondents detailed instances of patient frustration culminating in aggression when essential medicines were delayed or unavailable. This has resulted in patients frequently visiting multiple pharmacies in pursuit of their prescriptions, adding further strain on pharmacy operations.
The time burden is substantial; many pharmacy staff spend between one to two hours daily sourcing medicines, with over a quarter dedicating even longer. Nearly half of pharmacy owners connected these supply issues directly to a negative impact on patient services. Morrison described this ongoing situation as “a distressing new normal,” emphasising the need for greater flexibility during shortages and a fairer financial framework to support medicines supply.
Equally concerning are the growing staffing shortages that compound operational difficulties. CPE’s 2024 pressures survey revealed that 62% of pharmacy team members reported an impaired ability to deliver services due to understaffing. Staffing deficits affect both pharmacists and support staff, with roughly seven in ten pharmacy owners citing shortages in non-pharmacist roles and over half acknowledging pharmacist vacancies. Recruitment challenges are profound, with many pharmacy owners struggling to find permanent staff capable of managing workload and pressure.
The repercussions of staffing shortfalls are stark: increased workload pressures, longer patient waiting times, and frequent temporary pharmacy closures. Data from the NHS Business Services Authority found that locum shortages contributed to 65% of these closures between 2021 and 2024. Workforce wellbeing is also severely impacted—well over three-quarters of pharmacy team members report negative effects on mental health, with many describing themselves as barely coping, exacerbated by patient abuse and operational stress.
Janet Morrison highlighted the critical link between workforce conditions and patient care quality, warning that an overburdened and understaffed pharmacy workforce cannot sustain high-quality service delivery. She urged improvements in funding, workforce training, and regulatory support, noting that recruitment into GP surgeries through schemes like the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) has further strained community pharmacies by drawing pharmacists away from the sector.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society, together with Pharmacist Support, has recognised these wellbeing challenges, launching surveys and support campaigns to address workforce mental health and resilience. Danielle Hunt, chief executive of Pharmacist Support, noted a significant rise in demand for peer support services, underscoring the urgent need for sector-wide attention to staff wellbeing.
Community pharmacists themselves reflect elevated stress levels, with evidence from an exclusive profession-wide survey indicating greater work-related stress compared to general practice peers. The strain manifests in sleep deprivation, compassion fatigue, and strained personal relationships, confirming the heavy toll the current pressures exert on community pharmacy professionals.
As pharmacy owners approach the upcoming CPCF discussions, their input via the CPE survey represents a crucial chance to articulate the sector’s needs and advocate for meaningful reforms. With financial pressures, medicine shortages, and workforce challenges converging, concerted action is essential to sustain community pharmacy’s vital role in patient care and health system resilience.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
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The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is current, with the survey deadline of 8 September 2025, and no evidence of recycled content. The Community Pharmacy England (CPE) survey was announced on 8 August 2025, with a closing date of 8 September 2025. ([cpe.org.uk](https://cpe.org.uk/our-news/future-cpcf-whats-most-important-to-you/?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
No direct quotes are present in the narrative, indicating original content.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from The Pharmacist, a reputable UK-based publication focused on pharmacy news, enhancing its credibility.
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The claims align with known industry challenges, such as financial pressures and staffing shortages in community pharmacies. The CPE’s Pharmacy Pressures Survey 2025 reported that 45% of over 800 pharmacy owners used personal savings to support their businesses, and only 9% considered the threats manageable after the latest funding package.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is current, original, and sourced from a reputable publication. Claims are plausible and supported by recent data from the CPE’s Pharmacy Pressures Survey 2025, indicating a high level of confidence in its accuracy.
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