Webinar Recap: ‘From friction to flow: what community pharmacy and general practice need from neighbourhood health’

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Collaboration between community pharmacy and general practice has long been discussed as a future ambition for the NHS. But during The Pharmacy Show’s recent webinar, From friction to flow: strengthening collaboration in neighbourhood health, speakers made one thing clear: for neighbourhood health to succeed, collaboration can no longer remain theoretical.  

Hosted in partnership with the PMA, the discussion brought together perspectives from both sides of primary care, exploring where relationships are improving, where tensions still exist, and what practical changes are needed to move from “parallel working” to genuine integration.  

Chair Ian Jones opened the session by outlining the scale of the challenge facing primary care, pointing to “persistent friction points across funding, clinical responsibilities, digital integration, and indeed the professional culture”.  

Yet despite the pressures, the discussion remained optimistic. 

Sophia Bi-Raja, Managing Partner at Yardley Wood Medical Practice and PCN manager, argued that many of the difficulties seen across primary care are not caused by a lack of willingness from professionals themselves. 

“The friction that we consistently experience in primary care… isn’t because people don’t care. It isn’t because people aren’t trying. It’s usually because the systems around us aren’t designed to work together.”  

Using Pharmacy First as a practical example, Sophia shared referral data from her own practice showing a significant increase in referrals into community pharmacy over the past year, alongside growing confidence in the breadth of conditions being managed through the service.  

Importantly, she stressed that success should not simply be measured by referral volume. 

“We’re not just doing more of the same… we’re gaining more confidence in the service.”  

That theme of confidence and trust ran throughout the webinar. 

Superintendent pharmacist Sanjeev Panesar described how stronger communication with GP practices had transformed the way referrals were handled locally, helping both sides better understand each other’s pressures and operational realities.  

He argued that community pharmacy can no longer afford to operate in isolation as NHS priorities continue shifting towards prevention, neighbourhood care and community-based clinical services. 

“If we don’t adapt, if we don’t read between the lines and start trying to think a little bit differently and outside the box, then the writing is on the wall for many of us.”  

Much of the conversation focused on the practical realities behind integration. Speakers highlighted the importance of regular communication between pharmacies and GP practices, clear referral expectations, workforce development, and making better use of the wider pharmacy team.  

There was also significant discussion around the evolving role of Pharmacy Technicians and the arrival of newly qualified pharmacist independent prescribers into the workforce. Across the sector, there remains enthusiasm about the opportunities this creates, but also uncertainty around governance, supervision and safe implementation.  

Sanjeev noted that many pharmacies are already beginning to rethink how they use their teams and premises, particularly as service delivery becomes more clinically focused. 

“You need to make sure your team are on the journey with you and that they buy into what your vision is.”  

Another clear message from the webinar was that neighbourhood health will only work if community pharmacy is treated as a core clinical partner, rather than an add-on service. Both Sanjeev and Sophia repeatedly returned to the idea that pharmacies are uniquely placed within local communities, but that their value is still not consistently understood across the wider system.  

As community pharmacy continues navigating funding pressures, workforce challenges and expanding clinical expectations, the discussion reinforced that collaboration is no longer optional. The opportunity now is ensuring the structures, relationships and operational support exist to make it sustainable. 

The conversation around neighbourhood health is clearly moving beyond strategy documents and policy language. The real question now is how quickly systems can turn ambition into practical, day-to-day reality. 

Thank you to Ian Jones (PMA) for chairing this webinar, and to Sanjeev and Sophia for presenting.