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The Company Chemists’ Association is to lose a seat on Community Pharmacy England’s voting committee while the Independent Pharmacies Association is to appoint representatives for the first time, CPE announced on Friday September 26. 

CPE revealed that from November 1 it will implement “interim arrangements” that will see the IPA nominate two representatives from multiples owning 10 or more pharmacies. 

This will be in addition to the three existing committee members drawn from the ‘non-CCA multiples’ category. 

In other changes, “an additional independent representative will be co-opted to the committee and the CCA representatives will be reduced by one,” said CPE.

These arrangements will be in place until CPE elections take place in April 2027.  

The reshaping of the committee aims to “better reflect the make-up of the community pharmacy sector,” said CPE, which has come under pressure to review its seat allocations in recent years as the CCA-owned segment of the English pharmacy market has shrunk drastically in terms of both store footprint and prescription market share.

“The decision marks a constructive step forwards in collaboration across the sector,” said CPE, adding that the decision followed “a constructive meeting” between the negotiator and the three main pharmacy trade bodies over the summer.

When asked which CCA representative will give up their place, a spokesperson for the trade body told P3pharmacy: “This will be determined following our usual processes for determining external representation, and in time for when the changes at CPE are made.”

The CCA spokesperson added: “We hope that the new interim arrangements will now enable CPE to focus on securing the best possible agreement for the 2026/27 contractual framework.   

“The community pharmacy network remains underfunded and securing sufficient additional funding must be made the absolute priority for CPE.”

CPE and the IPA were both approached for further comment.

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