Resource

The Community Pharmacy Patient Safety Group secures four new sponsors in its 10th anniversary year

The Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) and the Community Pharmacy Patient Safety Group (CPPSG) are delighted to announce four new sponsors for the Group’s work: Cegedim Rx, NPA Insurance, Numark and Pharmsmart.

The four sponsors will fund the Group for a 12-month period, enabling the Group to continue to deliver against its purpose. The CPPSG works to enhance patient safety culture and practice across the community pharmacy network in England. The Group provides a forum where members can:

  • learn from each other and provide a critical professional network for each other;
  • learn from other healthcare providers and other industries with expertise in managing safety and risk; and
  • consider how such learning can be applied across the community pharmacy network

The CCA has hosted the CPPSG since its formation in 2015. This year, the Group is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

For a decade the CPPSG has gathered and championed best practice across community pharmacy, demonstrating the safety and professionalism of community pharmacy teams. It has provided a model for other professional groups to learn from, putting together insights and experience to enhance patient safety across Great Britain.

Notable achievements include developing a Look- Alike, Sound-Alike (LASA) toolkit, creating a Sodium Valproate Risk Assessment, and using insights to produce a suite of ‘Share and Learn’ documents based on the Record, Learn, Share, Act, Review template designed by the Group.

2025 has so far seen a focus on opioids and liquid medicines. CPCSG has shared its ‘Focus on Fentanyl’ video and is currently preparing a ‘Focus on Methadone’ video resource. In addition, CPPSG has also supported the Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacy Group in developing their position statement on the labelling of dispensed oral medicines for children, which has been endorsed by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Jackie Giltrow BPharm, MRPharmS, Chair of the CPPSG and Head of Professional Standards/Medication Safety Officer, Payden said: “I am delighted to welcome our four new sponsors.

It is great to see so many organisations, with a natural fit to the values and outputs of the Group, keen to support our work. Patient safety in community pharmacy is paramount, and as pharmacy takes on greater roles in providing services such as Pharmacy First, it is important for the Group to keep evolving. We thank our sponsors for their commitment to patient safety.” 

Sponsorship by the four organisations follows the National Pharmacy Association’s sponsorship in 2024 and allows the CPPSG to continue to lead the patient safety agenda in community pharmacy.

The Group is keen to build on the successes of the past decade. The sponsors of CPPSG bring a wealth of experience in patient safety initiatives, allowing the Group to continue to improve care for patients in the decade to come.

The Group’s four sponsors explain why they’ve decided to sponsor the CPPSG and the importance they place on patient safety:

Tracey Robertson, Managing Director, Cegedim Rx said: “At Cegedim Rx, patient care is more than a priority, it’s the foundation of our business and the driving force behind our people and our technology. Every innovation we deliver is designed with safety and better outcomes in mind. Supporting the CPPSG was a natural choice, as their mission reflects our own unwavering commitment to ensuring patients remain at the heart of pharmacy practice.”

Lisa Banks, Managing Director, Pharmacy Insurance said: “NPA Insurance has provided professional indemnity insurance and legal support to community pharmacy for over 125 years and patient safety has always been at the core. We pride ourselves on going the extra mile for our members and provide patient safety information and risk mitigation advice as part of our holistic package. Our sponsorship of the CPPSG will enable NPA Insurance to gain further insight on emerging risks and enable us to proactively support our members to put patient safety at the heart of everything they do” –

Professor Harry McQuillan, Chairman, Numark said: “Numark is delighted to be sponsoring the Community Pharmacy Patient Safety Group. As highlighted by our purpose statement, we are the support organisation to more than 5900 community pharmacies, dedicated to enhancing their business performance and ensuring the delivery of safe, effective pharmaceutical care. We maximise our scale to add value to our pharmacy partners. Our sponsorship delivers on this commitment to safety, and I look forward to working with all colleagues to deliver best practice in this area.” –

Sunil Patel, CEO, Pharmsmart said: “Pharmacy has always been about people for me – keeping them safe and well. Safety is only achieved with professional collaboration, sharing and learning. That’s why Pharmsmart are proud to sponsor the CPPSG. It’s a space where real conversations happen, challenges are shared, and solutions are found together. I believe that by supporting forums like this, we can help strengthen the voice of community pharmacy and shape a better future for the sector and our communities”

NOTES TO EDITORS

Photo of sponsors, and CPPSG Chair and Vice-Chair

The photo contains the following individuals:

  • Back row: Martin Sadr-Kazemi, Vice Chair of the CPPSG and Deputy Superintendent, Rowlands, Simeon Green, Dispensing Product Lead, Cegedim Rx, Phil Doyle, Service Director, Cegedim Rx
  • Front row: Jackie Giltrow, Chair of the CPPSG and Head of Professional Standards, Paydens, Jacquie Lee, Medications Safety Officer and Information Pharmacist, Numark, Lisa Banks, Managing Director Pharmacy Insurance, NPA Insurance, Rachel Clements, Pharmacist & Clinical Data Lead, Cegedim Rx

About the CPPSG:

  • The CPPSG was first established in 2015 following an MHRA and NHS Alert which recommended large community pharmacy businesses (defined as 50 or more pharmacies in the alert) to identify a Medication Safety Officer (MSO). MSOs took this requirement further and meet regularly to share and learn from patient safety incidents and drive improvements in patient care across community pharmacy and more widely. View the original 2014 NHS Alert and supporting information.
  • The CPPSG also includes representation for smaller multiple pharmacies and independent pharmacies through an MSO role undertaken by the National Pharmacy Association, Numark and the Independent Pharmacies Association. 
  • The Group works together to consider how learning from patient safety incidents can be applied across the pharmacy network and wider NHS, and then creates the opportunities and resources to do just that. The CPPSG has become a source of expertise for external bodies as no similar forum exists within community pharmacy.
  • As part of its work, the Group engages with a wide array of stakeholders including the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England (NHSE), the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS).

Sponsors and sponsorship

  • About Cegedim Rx: Part of the Cegedim Group, Cegedim Rx offers an intelligent and powerfully simple pharmacy business solution that’s tailored to tackle the biggest challenges facing modern pharmacies. By working closely with pharmacy teams, Cegedim Rx has created solutions that adapt to the evolving needs of the industry, helping frontline pharmacy teams save time, boost efficiency, and grow revenue. www.cegedimrx.co.uk
  • About NPA Insurance: NPA Insurance is an award-winning insurance company and provides vital Professional Indemnity, Legal Defence and Property Insurance for over 60% of UK’s community pharmacies. NPA Insurance has been protecting pharmacies for over 125 years and our in-house legally qualified team provides unrivalled legal advice and claims handling when our members need us. We are pharmacy experts and the underwriter, which enables NPA Insurance to make decisions on what is covered and ensure that our specialist pharmacy insurance products continuously evolve as pharmacy moves into an ever more clinical sphere, giving our members peace of mind that they are protected. NPA Insurance | National Pharmacy Association
  • About Numark: Numark is the support organisation for more than 5900 community pharmacies, dedicated to enhancing their business performance and ensuring the delivery of safe, effective pharmaceutical care. www.numarknet.com
  • About Pharmsmart: Pharmsmart is a leading provider of smart, web-based software solutions designed specifically for community pharmacies across the UK. Our platform helps thousands of pharmacies save time and money, ensure compliance with regulatory standards, streamline operations, and enhance patient safety. https://pharmsmart.co.uk/
  • The Group continues to seek sponsors and is happy to hear from any organisations who would like to know more about sponsoring the CPPSG now or in subsequent years.
  • The Company Chemists’ Association provides secretariat support for the CPPSG, hosts the online and in-person meetings and provides administration support.