27/04/2026
Yesterday, Community Pharmacy Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland (CPL&R) was proud to host
Navigating the Numbers – Securing the Future with our Chief Officer Rajshri Owen
This wasn’t just another event — it was a necessary conversation.
The financial and operational pressures facing community pharmacy are no longer emerging… they are fully here:
Pharmacies are worse off than a year ago
A £2bn+ structural funding gap remains
Many businesses are operating at, or below, sustainability
And we are already seeing the impact on patient access through reduced opening hours
Our reflection as an LPC:
What stood out most was the honesty in the room.
Contractors are not only aware of the challenges — they are actively seeking solutions. There was a strong appetite for practical support, particularly around:
Understanding and managing business performance
Maximising claims and income
Making services work both clinically and financially
There was also a clear message:
👉 Community pharmacy must be better positioned within the system
👉 And that requires both local and national alignment
Our thoughts moving forward:
As an LPC, our role is to:
Advocate for the sector at system level
Provide practical, tangible support to contractors
Create opportunities for shared learning and collaboration
We have already begun exploring further support around claims and income optimisation, following the feedback from yesterday.
Because whilst we cannot control the funding environment, we can support how contractors respond to it.
Thank you to all our speakers, sponsors and contractors who contributed to such an open and constructive session.
The challenge is clear — but so is the opportunity for collective action.
