The National Cancer Plan for England sets out how cancer patients will be given more personalised treatment. The Plan makes several announcements related to community pharmacy.
HPV vaccination programme
From this year, a ‘catch up’ HPV vaccination campaign will be rolled out in community pharmacies.
Dr. Nick Thayer, Head of Policy at the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) said: “Pharmacies are well placed to administer the HPV vaccine and help the NHS meet its goal of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040.
Pharmacies are already trusted to deliver many NHS vaccines – including the flu, covid, RSV and MMR vaccines.
With more pharmacies in more deprived areas, pharmacies can help drive uptake especially amongst underserved communities.
Commissioning pharmacies to deliver more NHS vaccines makes sense for patients and NHS, and would release GP capacity and drive vaccine uptake. Any newly commissioned vaccination programmes would require additional investment on top of wider efforts to close the funding gap.
Through the work of the Pharmacy Vaccination Development Group, hosted by the CCA, we have been working with manufacturers, suppliers, commissioners and regulators to unlock the potential of community pharmacy to help more people receive the vaccinations they need to stay healthy”.
Heartburn health checking service pilot
The Plan announces that from spring 2026, a heartburn health checking service will be piloted in a sample of pharmacies. Participating pharmacies will be able to refer patients who meet certain criteria directly into secondary care for further investigation.
Dr. Nick Thayer, Head of Policy at the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) said: “Pharmacies are already treating patients experiencing heartburn symptoms, so we welcome this pilot.
However, any services of this kind will need to be appropriately funded as part of a wider package to close the funding gap which we hope the forthcoming CPCF negotiations will do”.
Rollout of GLP-1s
The Plan states that the Government will partner with the pharmaceutical industry and digital weight loss providers to accelerate the uptake of GLP-1 medicines.
Dr. Nick Thayer, Head of Policy at the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) said: “Weight loss medicines have the potential to significantly reduce the burden of obesity on the NHS and transform the lives of millions. The economic impact of allowing many to return to work, offers the government a vital avenue to increase growth and workforce productivity.
Community pharmacies have a proven track record of delivering preventative healthcare interventions at scale, both remotely and through the network of pharmacies in communities across the country. Building on the expertise developed through private services, community pharmacies would be well placed to deliver wraparound weight loss care, to increase access where needed.
Any newly commissioned NHS service would of course need to be appropriately funded”.