Independent Pharmacy Contractors Network

@LFCblogster We always have a decoy 😂

Whoever did this, fair play 😂😂😂

Great news for @IPCNetwork members - Cambrian Alliance has been appointed their buying & business support group of choice! Members can see how e-CASS can get you best prices, full transparency, and complete control ordering, below👇 cambrianalliance.co.uk/post/ipcn-and-…

The Gaza Famine is the world’s famine. A preventable, predictable famine. 

Enough. Ceasefire. Open all crossings, north and south. Let us get food in, unimpeded and at massive scale.

Discussed in the media today the poor decision by JCVI to exclude patients aged 65-74 from NHS Covid jabs this winter. Seems no lessons have been learned from last year’s hospital admissions. Worried patients should ask their pharmacist about private jabs shorturl.at/plsNa

BREAKING: IPCN launches insurance at £3k less per year than ‘other providers’ chemistanddruggist.co.uk/news/business/… The @IPCNetwork has launched a “tailored” #insurance offering with lower premiums for its members, C+D has learned…

A big thank you to @anneliese_midge for visting and re-opening our pharmacy after an extension and refurb. She affirmed her commitment to community pharmacy which we are grateful to her for. @IPCNetwork @ComPharmEngland @ICPmagazine @ChemistDruggist

Contractor WhatsApp group becomes ‘formal’ cooperative ow.ly/xgvL50Vyjl7 An independent contractor WhatsApp group @ipcnetwork has "formally incorporated" as a fledgling cooperative organisation to be a voice for independent contractors #Pharmacy

ipcn.org.uk for contact details and how to join. We look forward to welcoming you to our collective.

@SriKanaparthy @dervisgurol @Michaelwsh @pharmabob Secretary of State can decide who to discuss the contract, it's not in statue that it must be CPE.

@dervisgurol @Michaelwsh @pharmabob @IPCNetwork It’s even more worrying that some people that are LPC committee members do not know this fact

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release 2 April 2025 @IPCNetwork Independent Pharmacy Contractors Network (IPCN) Announces Incorporation as a Cooperative. The Independent Pharmacy Contractors Network (IPCN) is proud to announce that, following years of organic growth and sector-wide impact, we have formally incorporated as a cooperative organisation. IPCN was originally founded as a simple WhatsApp group, a space created by independent contractors, for independent contractors. In the years since, it has grown into a thriving and supportive network that helps community pharmacy owners navigate the financial pressures, regulatory changes, and day-to-day challenges that have defined the sector in recent times. Unlike traditional membership bodies, IPCN has always prioritised peer-to-peer communication, practical support, and direct action. Our strength lies in our shared experience as contractors, our conversations are grounded in lived reality, not bureaucracy. A Cooperative for Contractors With no national representative body truly reflecting the voice and interests of small independent pharmacy owners, IPCN’s role has become increasingly important. After careful deliberation, the admin team agreed that the time had come to move forward with formal incorporation. We are now officially registered as a cooperative, a structure that allows us to: Be owned and governed by our members, with democratic decision-making; Operate for the benefit of our community, not private shareholders or external interests; Ensure that all contributions, from local engagement to national campaigning are recognised and rewarded collectively. This is an important milestone. Being a cooperative means that IPCN will remain accountable, transparent, and fully aligned with the values of independent pharmacy. IPCN’s Role in the Latest CPCF Negotiations IPCN has already proven its value beyond peer support. In early 2025, when it became clear that key decisions around the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) were being made behind closed doors, IPCN mobilised contractors across the country. We coordinated Freedom of Information requests, engaged MPs, challenged the early messaging around the £300m uplift, and demanded the release of the Government’s own Economic Review, which exposed the true scale of underfunding. Thanks to these actions, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) returned to the table and made a last-minute improved offer, an outcome widely recognised by stakeholders across the sector as being driven by IPCN pressure. Our Aims Moving Forward As a cooperative representing all forms of independent pharmacy from bricks-and-mortar pharmacies to Distance Selling Pharmacies (DSPs) our focus will be on: Enhancing, improving, and enabling collaborative support across the independent pharmacy sector; Protecting the viability of all independent contractors in a rapidly changing healthcare environment; Ensuring that community pharmacy contractors are accurately and fairly represented in national conversations and negotiations; Challenging policy decisions that do not serve the long-term sustainability of our sector; Holding organisations such as Community Pharmacy England (CPE) accountable, so that independent voices are not drowned out by institutional complacency; And, thanks to the breadth of our membership, collaborating with partners in innovative technology to continually improve the community pharmacy offering and modernise how care is delivered on the frontline. Our extensive network means IPCN is not only a voice, but also a solution. We extend our thanks to every contractor who has supported IPCN’s journey so far. We are proud to be moving forward as a cooperative, built by contractors, for contractors.

@JanetMorrisonUK @IPAPharmacy @NPA1921 @wesstreeting @SKinnock @istrachan621 @SriKanaparthy @ra2alghul @LeylaHannbeck @nkpharmacy @dervisgurol @ICPmagazine @ChemistDruggist @BBCBreaking @SkyNews @itvnews @Channel4News @PharminPractice @reeyah1 @REENABARAI @HarrysPharmacy1

The future of RPS must be about championing and strengthening the pharmacist profession and people leading it must be of that mindset. Anything outside of that would not only be a betrayal to the profession but to patient care.

For those who celebrate, may this Nowruz bring you and your loved ones health, happiness, and success.

Community Pharmacy Funding: Falling Behind Inflation & Wage Increases Since 2019, community pharmacy funding in England has been frozen at £2.592 billion per year. But what if funding had kept pace with inflation and the rising National Minimum Wage (NMW)? The Reality: If adjusted for both inflation and NMW increases, funding should have risen to £3.739 billion in 2025 and £3.9 billion for 2026. Instead, pharmacies continue to deliver more services with less funding, all while facing rising wages, medicine costs, and operational expenses. Why This Matters: Community pharmacies are the backbone of primary care access, managing prescriptions, urgent care, vaccinations, and clinical services, often filling gaps left by overstretched GP practices. Yet, with funding frozen for six years, pharmacies are being asked to do more for less. This is unsustainable and puts the future of vital services at risk. The Call to Action: It’s time for policymakers to recognise the economic reality and align pharmacy funding with real-world cost pressures. A sustainable funding model isn’t just about survival, it’s about ensuring patients continue to receive the care they deserve. @ComPharmEngland @DHSCgovuk @IPCNetwork @Pharmacist_News @ICPmagazine #CommunityPharmacy #PharmacyFunding #PrimaryCare #NHS #Healthcare #PharmacyCrisis

Abolition of NHSE - a view from Community Pharmacy ‘Since its creation in 2012, NHS England (NHSE) has presided over the systematic dismantling of community pharmacy…’ linkedin.com/pulse/abolitio…

Good to speak on BBC Breakfast this morning about the ongoing medicines supply issues & the impact on patient care. Also well done to @istrachan621 for highlighting on the programme how pharmacists are struggling on a daily basis& how on many occasions they are left out of pocket

@IPCNetwork @AbuFeizah @ComPharmEngland @NPA1921 @IPAPharmacy @grahamsphillips @ra2alghul @SriKanaparthy @DHSCgovuk @NHSEngland @ComPharmWaqas @istrachan621 @LeylaHannbeck @MikeHewitson1 @nkpharmacy @PaulReesMBE @REENABARAI @Aftab_Derby I also have over a decade of experience in Community Pharmacy and it has never been so bad. Instead of serving the public I am spending hours every day trying to source vital medication for patients. This is not sustainable and we are on the brink of collapse

This is serious. This is real. #drugshortagesuk

@AbuFeizah @IPCNetwork @ComPharmEngland @NPA1921 @IPAPharmacy @grahamsphillips @ra2alghul @SriKanaparthy @DHSCgovuk @NHSEngland @ComPharmWaqas @istrachan621 @LeylaHannbeck @MikeHewitson1 @nkpharmacy @PaulReesMBE @REENABARAI @Aftab_Derby @blmerriman @ChemistDruggist @cjarmstrong2 @_huz2 @PrabSC90 @reeyah1 @JanetMorrisonUK We now have to display a poster asking patients not to be abusive due to drug shortages. Unfortunately, some patients are getting worried & extremely aggressive thinking its our fault. More public information campaigns needed to educate patients that pharmacies aren’t responsible

theguardian.com/commentisfree/… @AbuFeizah @ComPharmEngland @NPA1921 @IPAPharmacy @grahamsphillips @ra2alghul @SriKanaparthy @DHSCgovuk @NHSEngland @ComPharmWaqas @istrachan621 @LeylaHannbeck @MikeHewitson1 @nkpharmacy @PaulReesMBE @REENABARAI @Aftab_Derby

@yourAAH You owe me £2600. Please return the money. @ComPharmEngland wholesalers are acting like cartels. They are not delivering, make us jump hoops to order items we dispense at a loss ultimately effecting patient care. Something needs to be done.