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Community Pharmacy England is seeking contractors’ views on the future direction of the community pharmacy contract framework to “help shape negotiating priorities for 2026-27”.

The negotiator is asking pharmacy owners to complete an opinion poll before September 8. It says the survey “aims to gather views on potential funding allocations, service priorities and regulatory asks”, with the questions informed by recent sector workshops.

The poll also includes CPE’s pressures tracker to provide a snapshot of which issues are causing the most pressure for pharmacy owners.

The poll asks pharmacy owners about the biggest challenges they face and the outlook for their businesses, along with the single message they would like to give to Ministers. One question asks respondents to rank contractual reform options such as:

• Economic stabilisation and sustainability of the contract sum
• Improvements to the margin system
• Simplification of current payment mechanisms
• A new funding model
• Reduced bureaucracy and regulatory burdens
• Development of a differential contract for different types of pharmacy
• Commissioning of more clinical services.

Another question seeks views on future services - assuming a more sustainable contract can be agreed, and the government continues to want to commission further services from the sector.

Among the options are including lower respiratory tract infections and skin condition treatments in Pharmacy First; a case-finding service for COPD; an NHS weight management service; an asthma management service; and independent prescribing for common conditions.