Pharmacy Business Conference 2026: Unity and Sustainability at the Heart of Community Pharmacy

The Pharmacy Business Conference 2026, held at the London Hilton Wembley, brought together community pharmacy owners, contractors and sector leaders to consider how unity and sustained advocacy can secure a viable future for the profession. Hosted by Asian Media Group, the annual event focused on funding pressures, service expansion and the growing strategic importance of community pharmacy within the NHS.

The keynote address was delivered by Sadik Al‑Hassan MP, chair of the All‑Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy and a former pharmacist. He described chronic underfunding as the “elephant in the room”, warning that pharmacies are being asked to deliver increasingly complex clinical services while receiving significantly less funding in real terms than a decade ago. Al‑Hassan highlighted that although the cost of delivering NHS pharmaceutical services in England was estimated at over £5 billion, funding amounted to just over £2.5 billion, leaving a shortfall of approximately £2.3 billion.

A central theme of his speech was unity, stressing that community pharmacy “punches above its weight” politically when it speaks with one voice. He cautioned against fragmented lobbying and urged the sector to press government for a credible, multi‑year pathway back to profitability, rather than expecting a single, transformational funding settlement. Al‑Hassan also reaffirmed pharmacy’s central role in the government’s ten‑year plan to shift care from hospitals into the community, citing record flu vaccination delivery and the early success of the Pharmacy First service as evidence of pharmacy’s impact.

In his opening remarks, Shailesh Solanki, executive editor of Pharmacy Business, acknowledged that the recent funding settlement announced by government was a necessary first step, but warned that rising costs—such as national insurance, the national living wage and business rates—continue to erode its real benefit for contractors. He emphasised that structural reform and long‑term planning are essential if pharmacies are to remain financially sustainable while expanding clinical services.

The conference featured a full programme of panel discussions and expert‑led sessions examining operational resilience, workforce pressures, commissioning, and the future clinical direction of community pharmacy. Delegates also heard from sector leaders on how collaboration, evidence‑based advocacy and innovation will be key to ensuring pharmacy remains a cornerstone of neighbourhood healthcare, rather than a peripheral service, in the years ahead.