CPC North Wrap up

As the second ever Clinical Pharmacy Congress North draws to a close, we are delighted to have welcomed so many fantastic speakers delivering insightful sessions across a packed two days.

Some of my personal content highlights include:

A fascinating intimate roundtable discussion with Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Integrated Care System (ICS) leaders from across the North of England. The group, led by healthcare journalist Claire Read, discussed the evolving role of pharmacy professionals, the transformation of patient care, and the reshaping of healthcare systems.

Key points of this discussion included the need for a shift towards more collaborative work across organisations to break down siloed structures through structural and cultural change. There is also demand for the standardisation of service delivery to continue to improve medicine optimisation.

Top challenges facing ICS leaders include geographical complications, workforce adjustments and understanding different ways of working. As budgets remain tight and drive decision-making, there are often ethical debates around cost-saving measures. As a result, long-term visions for a more integrated care system include more patient-centred care, reducing unwarranted variation between organisations and strengthening industry partnerships.

An inspirational presentation from Ann Daniels (record-breaking female polar explorer) sharing her insights into leadership in challenging environments, was another highlight. Some of her main takeaways included opening yourself up to opportunities and when faced with challenges or problems, be confident in your abilities and think about what you can control in the situation to achieve the best outcomes

Deputy Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, Richard Cattell, provided an important national and strategic update in a powerful keynote address. Some of the themes included efforts to develop NHS pharmacy leadership and integrated pharmacy teams to build a future-ready health service. Key priorities include addressing overprescribing with the National Repeat Prescribing Toolkit, advancing independent prescribing, and implementing the Pharmacy First initiative to engage GPs and community pharmacies. Workforce development features prominently in NHS England plans, with Richard emphasising the opportunities in education reform for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians, particularly in specialist hospital roles and recruitment into aseptics. Medicine safety, digital medicines, genomics training, inclusive practice, and a focus on the 10-year NHS plan were also underlined.

An interesting session delivered by NHS England around pharmacogenomics (PGx) and its untapped potential across primary and secondary care also stood out to me. Almost 99% patients have some kind of PGx variation, yet the transformative potential still needs to be realised. Pharmacogenomics can enhance drug efficacy and safety by supporting precision dosing and personalised medicine to help optimise patient treatment.

Clinical Pharmacy Congress North will return to Manchester Central on 21-22 November 2025. You can register your interest now to be among the first to learn when registrations go live by signing up HERE