The UK’s independent pharmacy sector stands at a crossroads.
With around 4,000 independent businesses making up 40% of all pharmacies, the model that once guaranteed stability is now under strain. NHS dependency, once pharmacy’s safety net, has become its biggest vulnerability.
At the 2025 Pharmacy Show, Tariq Muhammad, CEO of TITAN, shared a clear message:
“Dispensing is not viable on its own. We have to take control back into our own hands,” said Tariq.
From ‘Bob’s Your Uncle’ to Broken Promises
There was a time when running a pharmacy was simple. Open near a GP, secure an NHS contract, and, as Tariq put it, “Bob’s your uncle.” Prescriptions flowed in, margins were healthy, and life was good.
But that comfort bred complacency.
“We became dependent on the NHS and complacent,” said Tariq. “We didn’t focus on our image or our future.”
That dependence shaped how the government viewed the profession. Pharmacy was no longer seen as clinical, but commercial. Policy soon followed perception.
Since the 2005 NHS contract reform, pharmacy funding has fallen by more than 30% in real terms. Pharmacies now dispense over one billion items every year, yet the single activity fee has not changed since 2016. The result is that many independents now dispense at a loss.
The NHS Carrot That Keeps Moving
Pharmacy’s frustration is not a lack of ambition, but the mismatch between rhetoric and reality.
Politicians praise pharmacy at every opportunity, but the delivery rarely matches the words.
“The rhetoric doesn’t match the reality,” said Tariq. “We’re promised services, but when we deliver, the goalposts move.”
Schemes like MURs, NMS, and Pharmacy First were introduced with good intentions, but each came with restrictive criteria and limited funding. The message is now clear: pharmacists can no longer wait for the NHS to define their future.
The Turning Point: Data from Titan Pharmacies
Survey data collected by TITAN in 2025 reveals a profession that understands change is essential.
59% of pharmacists want to grow their NHS services.
An even higher 86% plan to expand private services.
The main NHS barriers are funding and GP referrals.
The main private barriers are marketing and technology, both within the control of pharmacy owners.
At the Pharmacy Show, Tariq shared exclusive data from 95 Titan users, showing the real barriers and ambitions shaping the future of pharmacy.
The shift is unmistakable. Independents are realising that long-term survival means building new business models based on efficiency, trust and technology.
Six Lessons for a Sustainable Future
Drawing from Tariq’s talk, here are six key lessons shaping the new era of independent pharmacy.
These six lessons formed the foundation of Tariq’s “Strategic Approach” at the Pharmacy Show, a roadmap for pharmacy independence.
Own dispensing, but don’t be tied to it.
Use technology to automate workflow and maintain control without being stuck at the bench.
See NHS patients as your future private patients.
With consent, ethically use patient insights to offer relevant health services.
Fix the image.
“We’ve got to stop looking like shopkeepers when we start doing services,” said Tariq. Rebrand the space, invest in consultation rooms, and present pharmacy as a professional clinical environment.
Create new offerings.
Do not compete with GPs. Complement them. Pharmacists can safely manage up to 30% of GP appointments, especially for long-term conditions.
Build trust through quality, not checklists.
Compliance is not a tick-box exercise. It is the foundation of professional credibility.
Let technology do the heavy lifting.
“Technology is not the end,” said Tariq. “It is the vehicle that helps us reach a future where pharmacy can thrive independently.”
Titanverse: The Vehicle for That Future
That vehicle already exists.
TITANVERSE, launched in 2025, was designed to help pharmacists move from dependency to independence through connected technology.
Titanverse supports pharmacy businesses in delivering clinical services efficiently, improving patient experience and long-term sustainability.
TITANVERSE unites the systems pharmacists need to run modern, efficient, service-led businesses:
AI-assisted consultations that listen, document and summarise automatically.
Integrated prescribing that connects directly to TITAN PMR dispensing, with no double entry.
Built-in CRM tools for managing campaigns and patient communication.
Compliance and training modules to maintain quality across the team.
Bookings and payments integrated with the pharmacy website for seamless delivery.
It allows pharmacists to spend less time on admin and more time delivering care.
In simple terms, TITANVERSE is the bridge between dispensing and the future of private pharmacy services.
The Road Ahead
The independent pharmacy crisis is real, but it is not the end of the story.
It is the beginning of a transformation.
“Pharmacy can be viable, profitable, sustainable and most importantly, independent,” said Tariq.
“If pharmacy had a strapline, it would be: be more dentist.”
TITAN’s 2025 survey of 95 independent pharmacies shows what the future looks like. Confidence in NHS strategy remains low, but 86% of pharmacists are eager to grow private services in the next 12 months.
The message from this year’s Pharmacy Show was unmistakable:
Do not wait for the NHS to save pharmacy. Build the future yourself, with technology as your vehicle.
Learn more about how Titan PMR and Titanverse are helping independent pharmacies thrive.
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