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Business Rate Reimbursement For Pharmacies
If business rates reform is to help Britain's high streets flourish, community pharmacies should be part of that conversation. If pubs merit support because they are valued community assets, then pharmacies - which are both community assets and frontline NHS providers - surely deserve at least the same consideration.
Our template letter for pharmacies to send to PM Andy Burnham can be accessed below.
Meningitis B Vaccination Roll Out
During the Kent meningitis outbreak earlier this year, Our CEO appeared across all the national media calling for younger adults to be offered MenB vaccine by the NHS through a community pharmacy led programme.
We liaised with politicians, officials and decision makers to this effect as part of our campaign and we had the public support.
We are pleased to see that we’ve been listened to and that once again IPA campaign along side our Shot in the Arm campaign that led to increase in flu vaccine fee for pharmacies last year, has been successful in achieving results for community pharmacies, and the public.
We also thank everyone in community pharmacy who supported our call for this vaccine to be rolled out.
The time frame for the roll out, which is planned for end of July and August to vaccinate the eligible cohort before universities start in September, is short; so we are asking the government to ensure appropriate remuneration (which they are negotiating with CPE) and vaccine availability for pharmacies to deliver this service.
It will be busy time for pharmacies this summer; but we hope that this will open doors to other vaccination roll outs in community pharmacy.
Parliamentary Event
Our Parliamentary Dinner in the House of Lords, brought together our members, partners and cross party parliamentarians and stakeholders, including leaders from NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care.to celebrate everything community pharmacy delivers for patients and the NHS, and to engage directly with MPs and peers on the issues facing the sector.
We flagged four key areas where the IPA has been, and will continue to be, relentless in pressing for action to make our sector more sustainable
1- For too long pharmacy owners have been effectively subsidising the NHS and making losses when dispensing medicines. Dispensing at a loss must end.
2- It is manifestly unfair that community pharmacies are treated differently from other high-street providers of NHS services when it comes to business rates. The GPs and the dentists get business rates relief on their NHS turnover. Pharmacies get none.
And yet the government offers business rate support to pubs who can put their prices up and none to pharmacies who can’t. This is just plain wrong. Pharmacies are NHS partners. They must be treated like other NHS partners.
3- We’ve also asked that prescriptions should be limited to monthly script rather than bulk prescribing to stop medicines waste.
4- Vaccination should be the domain of community pharmacy - we outlined our Shot in the Arm campaign which includes our call to roll our Men B vaccination to young adults via pharmacies.
IPA is honoured to keep standing up for our members.
Dispensing at a loss
Community pharmacies are increasingly making a loss when dispensing medicines. The current NHS contract puts the obligation on pharmacies to dispense even if at financial loss.
This situation is fundamentally unjust and economically unsustainable. No business should be contractually obligated to provide services at a guaranteed loss, particularly when doing so places its financial viability—and ultimately patient access to care—at risk.
Medicines Supply Challenges
IPA has asked the Government to address the way pharmacies are reimbursed for medicines supply. Community pharmacies cannot be expected to be out of pocket when delivering patient care.
Our comments about this topic and on the issues around medicines shortages, prices of generics medicines, and how global matters affect this are published in the national and local media. This is despite a busy news schedule due to the conflict in the Middle East.
IPA Puts Pharmacies in the Headlines
We are heading towards pharmacy deserts across the UK where people will have to travel far and wide just to access essential services.
With rising business rates, higher National Insurance, and uncertainty over the new funding settlement, this situation is only going to get worse.
With rising business rates, higher National Insurance, and uncertainty over the new funding settlement, this situation is only going to get worse.
The Government has no time to waste. We need business rates reimbursed for this essential part of the healthcare sector, and a fair funding deal to prevent a collapse.
Read more below.
Read More
Shot in the Arm campaign in Parliament
In October our members attended our Parliamentary event speaking with over 80 Members of the Parliament about the need for a step change in the financial sustainability of our sector and to place pharmacies at the heart of Neighbourhood Health Services.
As we launched our “Shot in the Arm” campaign” in Parliament, calling for vaccination to become the domain of community pharmacies, we talked about the value of our sector for UK healthcare and provided robust data on the savings that the Government would make and how patient care would gain if pharmacies were invested in.
Community pharmacies save the NHS millions of pounds through incentivised procurement - it’s time we get the savings we make for the NHS to be reinvested back into our sector - that is what Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA) is calling for and we will be liaising with decision-makers accordingly.
To each and every one of the Members of Parliament who joined us yesterday, thank you! We felt great love for our sector in the room.
IPA Letter to Stephen Kinnock MP - Crisis in Community Pharmacy Finances
Re: Crisis in Community Pharmacy Finances
Dear Minister,
04 September 2025
I am writing as Chief Executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA) to share with
you the alarming outcomes of our latest survey and the deep disquiet of our members at the
current funding deal for community pharmacies...
NHS 10 Year Plan - IPA Statement
The NHS 10-Year Plan marks a positive step forward by recognising the vital role pharmacists play in supporting patients and helping to reduce pressure on other parts of the NHS.
However, if pharmacies are to take on more responsibilities - such as greater prescribing, delivering more vaccinations and further managing long-term conditions - then proper funding must be in place beforehand so we can plan, train and invest to give our patients the level of service and support they deserve. There must be minimal “red-tape” and no tired old excuses for the IT not being ready and fit for purpose from day 1.
IPA Represents Community Pharmacy at London Assembly
As the representative body for independent community pharmacies in England and Wales, we IPA was invited to the London Assembly this month to discuss the London Mayor's health Inequalities Strategy and answer questions from the Members of the Assembly.
https://shorturl.at/si7n6
IPA Event in Parliament
IPA hosted a successful reception on 20th May 2025 in the Houses of Parliament.
Thank you to our speakers, Lord Nick Markham CBE ,Minister of Health and Social Care Stephen Kinnock MP, and Lord James Bethell for kindly sponsoring our event.
Also a big thank you to the nearly 60 Parliamentarians that attended to show their support for our sector and to hear about:
In her speech our CEO Dr Leyla Hannbeck outlined:
- why community pharmacy should be at the heart of the NHS Reforms
- how our sector can save billions of pounds for taxpayers
- what community pharmacy can do to achieve this if invested in appropriately
Community pharmacies are at the forefront of preventative healthcare. We can lead on all vaccination programmes and play a greater role in the management of long term conditions such as cardio vascular disease (CVD).
She outlined that the NHS Reforms must be led by the Government, not just said by the Government and asked the Parliamentarians and decision makers to put pharmacy at the forefront of these Reforms. We know we can do this, we just need the right tools and support from decision makers to finish the job.
Leading Primary Healthcare Associations unite together in a “golden opportunity” to help the Government avoid a “disintegration of primary care”.
IPA together with other primary care organisations representing dentists, optometrists, and GPs have joined together to call on the new Government to deliver action and sustainable funding to fix primary care and ease pressure on the rest of the NHS.
We have changed name!
The Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies or AIMp today announces a change of name to the Independent Pharmacies Association or IPA.
The switch will provide a clearer identity and afford a strong voice to the thousands of independent pharmacies in England and Wales. Membership of the new Independent Pharmacies Association will not be confined to those with multiple branches, as AIMp required, but be open to all independents.
Pharmacy First Survey - three months after launch of the service
The Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp) has carried out a survey of independent pharmacy owners to better understand who the service is progressing three months since from its start date.
The results of the survey can be found below.
#Fight4Pharmacies
Wednesday, 27th March 2024
This document summarises the Fight4Pharmacies Campaign’s media and social media coverage
for the 20th of March launch event. We also had initial conversations with Good Morning Britain –
they had shown interest in the story but were ultimately unable to cover it at the time. We have
established good contacts with them for any upcoming opportunities.
AIMp meeting with Pharmacy Minister Andrea Leadsom
Tuesday, 12th March 2024
At a meeting with the Minister on 8th March in Jardine Pharmacy in Towcester, AIMp CEO Dr Leyla Hannbeck and our Board Member Has Modi discussed the current challenges in community pharmacies and offered solutions on how the community pharmacy network could support the NHS.
Thursday, 15th November 2023
Health and Social Care Committee
On Tuesday 21 November our CEO Dr Leyla Hannbeck will be giving evidence at Parliament's Health and Social Care Committee as part of their inquiry into pharmacy.
Thursday, 15th June 2023
Website Updates
Over the coming weeks we will be transitioning to our new website. It's going to make it a whole lot easier for us to manage our online content and we think you'll love the new, more modern format. Enjoy!
Tuesday, 25th April 2023
Emergency Call to Action Webinar
We are holding an emergency call to action webinar about the community pharmacy crisis on Tuesday 25th April at 7:30pm. The webinar is open to everyone. Please use the from below to register and to join the webinar.
Wednesday, 22nd January 2020
Leyla Hannbeck invited Prime Minster Boris Johnson to visit an AIM member, McParlands Pharmacy.
AIM CEO Leyla Hannbeck invited Prime Minster Boris Johnson to visit an AIM member, McParlands Pharmacy on Friday 17th January and hear about the good work community pharmacists are doing and how community pharmacists can be a solution to the challenges facing the NHS and help lift the burden off the A&Es and GP surgeries.
