Morning, Friday, 25th September 2026
Online
This conference will focus on the evolving role of pharmacies in healthcare delivery in England, and practical considerations for their growing contribution to neighbourhood care models and delivering services closer to home.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to discuss implications for the pharmacy sector as implementation of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan moves forward, alongside recent Human Medicines Order 2025 regulations on pharmacist authorisation, technician supervision and hub-and-spoke dispensing, as well as the NHS Pharmacy First service, and ongoing negotiations on the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2026/27.
Attendees will consider priorities for pharmacy providers, commissioners and wider health system partners as services develop, including sustainable delivery, workforce pressures, medicines supply, equitable access, and effective integration with primary care and wider NHS services.
Pharmacy First, neighbourhood health services & patient access
Sessions will examine progress and next steps for the NHS Pharmacy First service, alongside wider discussion on pharmacy’s role in neighbourhood health services and community-based care as NHS delivery models continue to evolve. Attendees will consider practical priorities for implementation, system integration, service expansion, and equitable access, including implications for pharmacy providers, commissioners and wider health system partners.
Areas for discussion include:
- Pharmacy First: enabling more consistent implementation in practice - relieving pressures on primary care - supporting effective referral pathways and service utilisation
- referral pathways: low GP referral rates - referral thresholds and clinical boundary clarity - reducing duplication and disjointed workflows
- system coordination: strengthening collaboration across primary care, ICBs and pharmacy partners - commissioning engagement - more consistent referral flows
- neighbourhood care: integration into health centres and wider place-based care models - infrastructure requirements - multidisciplinary working - managing local variation in delivery
- access: equitable availability of services - sustainability of community pharmacy provision - participation from rural and deprived communities - building public awareness and confidence
- service expansion: lessons from pilots and local case studies - premises capacity - practical considerations for wider rollout
- digital delivery: developments in online pharmacy services - NHS App prescription tracking rollout - automated dispensing systems - improving access, medicines adherence and service efficiency
- interoperability: fragmented data flows - IT integration challenges - data quality - information sharing across systems
Workforce, funding & patient safety
With legislative changes to the roles and responsibilities of pharmacists and technicians, discussion will focus on workforce readiness, patient safety, funding pressures, and practicalities of sustaining service expansion alongside existing dispensing and clinical responsibilities. Attendees will consider implementation issues arising from recent regulatory changes, alongside wider questions around workforce resilience, governance, and long-term service sustainability.
Areas for discussion include:
- workforce readiness: implementation of revised roles for pharmacists and technicians - operational readiness - managing simultaneous clinical and dispensing pressures
- supervision models: supervision in dispensing environments - maintaining professional standards - clarity around responsibilities and accountability
- delegation and liability: safe delegation under the Human Medicines Order 2025 - governance arrangements - balancing efficiency, autonomy and patient safety
- Workforce sustainability: shortages, retention pressures, workload and staff wellbeing - priorities for upskilling and career development
- aseptic services: capacity challenges - workforce shortages - legislative disputes - implementation priorities for specialist pharmacy services
- primary care integration: the role of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme - continuity of care - supporting effective collaboration across services
- funding priorities: effective use of funds - addressing funding pressures - equitable allocation across urban, rural and deprived areas - alignment with wider NHS priorities
- contractual framework: priorities for the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2026/27 - support for core dispensing - expansion of Pharmacy First and wider service expectations
- accountability and impact: transparency in funding decisions - evaluation of impact - sustaining service quality and long-term provision
Medicine supply resilience, data & oversight
Further discussion will consider priorities for strengthening medicine supply resilience and continuity of care, alongside the role of data, monitoring and operational decision-making in supporting more effective supply management across the pharmacy sector.
Areas for discussion include:
- national resilience: options for a more co-ordinated approach to medicine supply planning - routine shock level monitoring - continuity of care during shortages
- supply chains: diversification strategies - enhanced stock visibility - wholesaler reporting requirements - early warning systems and allocation mechanisms
- supply management: the role of digital tools and data governance in supporting supply oversight - earlier intervention - more effective operational decision-making
- local control and safety: balancing efficiency in hub-and-spoke models with continuity of care, local decision-making and patient safety
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates.
