Behind the programme: how we build The Pharmacy Show conference

When the Pharmacy Show conference programme goes live each year, it represents the culmination of months of research, conversations and careful planning. While visitors see a packed agenda of expert speakers and educational sessions, every title on the programme has been shaped by a much longer process that begins long before the first speaker is confirmed. 

Our starting point is always the same: understanding what are the most pressing priorities for our audience right now? 

Community pharmacy is evolving at an extraordinary pace. New clinical responsibilities, financial pressures, technological advances and changing patient expectations are all reshaping the profession, and the conference programme needs to reflect that reality. Rather than simply responding to the latest headline or sector trend, our aim is to build a programme that genuinely reflects the priorities, opportunities and challenges facing pharmacy teams across the UK. A programme that actually helps you move the dial. 

That means spending as much time listening as we do planning. 

Since the beginning of the year, we've been speaking to pharmacy owners, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, NHS leaders, educators, suppliers, and exhibitors from across the profession. We've held Advisory Board meetings with senior voices representing different parts of the sector, analysed feedback from last year's visitors, speakers and exhibitors, reviewed hundreds of survey responses, and followed the latest policy announcements, consultations and research shaping the future of community pharmacy. 

Each conversation brings a different perspective. 

Some people tell us about the day-to-day realities of running a busy pharmacy. Others focus on the longer-term changes they believe will define the profession over the next five or ten years. Some discussions centre on clinical practice, while others explore business sustainability, workforce development or emerging technologies. Although the detail often varies depending on the role, clear patterns begin to emerge. 

Many of the same priorities came up time and again. Those conversations ultimately shaped the four themes that sit at the heart of this year's conference programme:  

 

Building a sustainable pharmacy 

Few topics generated more discussion during our research than the long-term sustainability of community pharmacy. From independent owners navigating rising operating costs to larger organisations adapting to changing funding models, financial resilience continues to be one of the profession's biggest priorities. At the same time, pharmacies are being asked to deliver more services, embrace new technology and meet increasing patient demand. 

This year's programme explores both the challenges and the opportunities, with sessions designed to help our audience understand the wider landscape while offering practical ideas that can be applied within their own organisations. 

 

Key session not to miss: 

Choosing the right private service to invest in: building your non-NHS pharmacy business with Amerjit Singh, Managing Director of Sharoe Green Pharmacy and Skills4Pharmacy 

Pharmacy Owners’ Forum – Sunday 11 October – 10:30 – 11:00 

The changing landscape: an update from Community Pharmacy England with Janet Morrison, CEO of Community Pharmacy England (CPE) 

Keynote Theatre - Sunday 11 October - 15:15 – 15:45 

Training for the future: the increasing technology skills required of modern pharmacy professionals with Jonathan Nobbs, Director of Membership at National Pharmacy Association (NPA), and Santosh Sahu, Founder & CEO of Charac Ltd 

Technology & Digital Health Theatre - Monday 12 October - 11:15 – 11:45 

 

Expanding clinical practice 

With the first cohort of newly qualified pharmacist independent prescribers entering the profession this year, alongside continued growth in clinical services, many people spoke about the opportunities this creates, but also the practical questions that come with such significant change. 

How can pharmacists build confidence in new clinical responsibilities? What support do employers need to provide? How can community pharmacy continue to expand its clinical contribution while maintaining safe, effective care? These are exactly the types of questions we wanted the programme to address.  

 

Key session not to miss: 

Community pharmacy at a crossroads: clinical expansion and financial stability with Olivier Picard, Chair and Managing Director of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) & Newdays Pharmacy Ltd, Dr Leyla Hannbeck, CEO of the Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA), Malcolm Harrison, CEO of The Company Chemists' Association (CCA), and Gail Hall, Vice President of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK) 

Keynote Theatre – Sunday 11 October – 09:50 – 10:35 

Taking pharmacist prescribing to its full potential with Carolyn Scott, Editor of Pharmacy Business, Sukhi Basra, Pharmacist & Vice Chair of Victoria Medical Centre and National Pharmacy Association (NPA), Olive Yamdjeu, IP pharmacist at Fairoak Pharmacy, and Jay Chiha, IP pharmacist and Co-Owner at Day Lewis Pharmacy 

Business & Services Theatre – Sunday 11 October – 10:50 – 11:35 

Prescribing in community pharmacy clinical services with Anne Joshua, Deputy Director of Pharmacy Transformation and Commissioning at NHS England, and Wasim Baqir, Head of Pharmacy Integration, Primary Care, Community, Vaccinations & Screening at NHS England 

Keynote Theatre – Monday 12 October – 15:00 – 15:30  

 

Integrated care & neighbourhood health 

Another consistent theme throughout our research was the growing importance of collaboration. 

As neighbourhood health develops and community pharmacy becomes increasingly integrated into wider primary care, stronger relationships with GP practices, ICBs, and local healthcare teams are becoming more important than ever. 

Many of the people we spoke to described community pharmacy as an essential part of the wider healthcare system, while also recognising that there is still work to do in strengthening those partnerships and ensuring pharmacies are fully recognised for the role they can play. 

This year's programme reflects that ambition; exploring how collaboration can improve patient care, while helping pharmacies develop new opportunities within their local communities. 

 

Key session not to miss: 

Point-of-care cholesterol testing: bringing cardiovascular prevention from the hospital to the high street with Jagjot Chahal, Cardiovascular Prevention Lead Pharmacist at Barts Heart Centre, and Sotiris Antoniou, Director of Clinical Services at Barts Hospital  

Public Health & Prevention Theatre – Sunday 11 October – 15:45 – 16:15 

How can neighbourhood health reduce health inequalities with Vicki Roberts, Service Development Manager at Community Pharmacy England (CPE), Jignesh Patel, IP pharmacist & Chair of NEL Pharmacy Provider Group and Community Pharmacist PCN Lead Manager at CPNEL, Luvjit Kandula, Director of Strategy and Pharmacy Transformation at Community Pharmacy Greater Manchester, and Dr Jagan John, NEL Clinical Commissioning Group and Personalised Care Clinical Director - NHS England (London)/Healthy London 

Public Health & Prevention Theatre – Monday 12 October – 11:00 – 11:45  

From strategy to reality: the NHS 10 Year Plan one year on with Henry Gregg, CEO of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), Malcolm Harrison, CEO of The Company Chemists' Association (CCA), Dr Leyla Hannbeck, CEO of the Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA), Rebecca Bastable, Membership Director at the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK), and Alastair Buxton, Director of NHS Services at Community Pharmacy England (CPE) 

Keynote Theatre – Monday 12 October – 13:20 – 14:00 

 

Developing the future workforce 

Across every area of pharmacy, workforce development continues to be a major priority. We heard about the importance of supporting newly qualified pharmacists, developing leadership skills, improving wellbeing, creating clearer career pathways and recognising the increasingly valuable contribution of pharmacy technicians and the wider pharmacy team. 

Just as importantly, many people spoke about ensuring pharmacy remains an attractive profession for the future by providing opportunities for development throughout every stage of a career. 

 

Key session not to miss: 

Workforce empowerment: enabling teams to work at the top of their licence with Samson Akere, Pharmacy Owner of Totty Pharmacy, Greenwich  

Pharmacy Owners’ Forum – Sunday 11 October – 13:30 – 14:00 

Supporting confidence in newly qualified IPs with Alison Butt, Lead Pharmacist of General Practice Education at the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE), and David Gibson, Regional Lead at North East and Yorkshire School of Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation 

Leadership, Workforce & Careers Theatre – Sunday 11 October – 15:45 – 16:15 

A new frontier for Pharmacy Technicians: unpacking the new changes with Amy Laflin, President of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK) 

Keynote Theatre – Sunday 11 October – 17:30 – 18:00 

 

Looking ahead 

As new developments emerge across the sector, additional speakers are confirmed and conversations continue throughout the summer, the programme will keep evolving. That flexibility is an important part of the process, allowing us to ensure the conference remains relevant right up to October. 

While individual sessions may continue to develop, the principles behind the programme will remain the same. Every addition is guided by the research, feedback and conversations that have shaped the programme from the very beginning, with the aim of creating two days that are practical, relevant and valuable for everyone working across community pharmacy. 

We hope that, as you explore this year's programme, you'll see not only the breadth of topics on offer, but also the thinking behind them. We look forward to sharing more updates over the coming months and, most importantly, welcoming the pharmacy community back together this October to unpack all of these challenges, insights, and priorities.  

 

CHECK OUT THE FULL PROGRAMME HERE     REGISTER FOR YOUR FREE PASS NOW

*Free to attend for UK-registered healthcare professionals