The need for the Review

The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework for 2019/20-2023/24 outlines new services and ways of working for community pharmacy – supporting the NHS Long Term Plan.  Significant change will be required by many contractors in order to deliver this new vision of integrated and accessible local health services. 

This transformation and the advent of Primary Care Networks (PCNs) will require contractors to work and collaborate in a way they have not done in the past.  In doing so, the requirements on those organisations that represent and support them at a local and national level will also change.  At the Local Pharmaceutical Committee (LPC) Conference of September 2019, it was proposed by PSNC that a review of representation and support to all community pharmacy contractors should be carried out to ensure that the best possible service is being provided to the contractor network.

What the Review aimed to do

The review took a ground-up approach looking at the current local and national structures representing and supporting pharmacy contractors.  This included:

• What representation and support is needed by contractors now – and what is the future requirement likely to be?
• What is working well in LPCs and PSNC and what could be improved?
• What are the most effective structures for current and future demand?
• What is the best structure to ensure all contractors are represented well?
• What, if any, changes are needed now and over the life of the new Contractual Framework and beyond?
• How should the representation and support for contractors be financed?

How it is being funded

The cost of the review was shared by PSNC (30%) and the LPCs (70%) – and paid through the 2020/21 levy.