1. Community Pharmacy – what does the future hold
Sue Sharpe
Chief Executive

2. The 17 December letter
Desire for a clinically focussed community pharmacy service
But no proposals
Integration fund
Cut in funding
Reduction of £170m minimum, taken October-March
Centralised dispensing
Driving Online
Hub + Spoke

3. The 17 December letter Too many pharmacies Access scheme
Simplifying payments
Using volume measures
Remove Establishment payments
Single activity fee

4. The 17 December letter Increase prescription duration
Timescale for negotiations to 24 March

5. Why are they doing it? The £22bn cuts challenge
Pharmacy numbers growth
Large chains
Hub + spoke etc cost savings
Commoditising supply to save costs
Making CCGs responsible for primary care delivery
Supporting growth of employed pharmacists in GP practices

6. Our reply – positives Pharmacies will develop the online offer
Hub + Spoke but not hub no spoke/ Amazon
Regulations to remove blocks to voluntary mergers of neighbouring pharmacies
Clinical focus and service development proposals

7. Our reply - negatives
Ill considered; not informed by understanding of pharmacy value.
No analysis or data seen to help us understand and test proposals or assertions – ‘no compromise to quality’.
Bad decision, pharmacies will need to cut back; will cost NHS more elsewhere.
Combination of proposals incurs high risk of destabilising market.
Insufficient time and detail for a consultation of this scope and complexity.

8. Greater Manchester impact
Abandonment of national contract for local very high risk, and capacity to create a local Drug Tariff very unlikely
Danger of allowing selective departure from national contract
GM Strategic Partnership Board will watch national negotiations; baseline funding for the core service will be affected if funding cut is applied
Other elements e.g. changes to funding distribution will have a direct impact
CPGM has developed their interest in stimulating innovative services projects, but unlikely to be universal across GM, and for good reasons there is low reliance on local service commissioning to support investment in service development

9. The Campaign A Coalition – with NPA and others
Not disparate insurgents
Every pharmacy must help – help us or harms us
Targets for support: MPs, local councillors, charities, health and social care sector workers
And patients
Aim to find a win-win

10. Campaign Planning Luther Pendragon on political lobbying
-Local activity
-National activity
Planning for a two year campaign
Economic consultants
Other expert advice
Legal advice
Strong partnership with NPA
Collaboration with RPS, CCA, AIMp, PV, NPA

11. How are we doing so far? Very early stages
But already having an impact
Westminster Hall debate 23 February
Minister letter to Conservative MPS
Cross party MP concern
Every pharmacy has a role to play in their future