Community Pharmacy Representation at Scottish Party Conferences

Published: 23rd February 2026

Adam Osprey with Annie Wells MSP

Last Friday, the Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) Policy team attended both the Scottish Conservative and Scottish Liberal Democrat party conferences. The objective was to ensure that community pharmacy was represented, with our manifesto front and centre of the conversation.

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Adam Osprey Head of Policy & Development, and Robbie Collins Digital Communications Officer, attended the Scottish Conservative conference at Murrayfield, while Gordon Winter, Policy & Development Officer, attended the Scottish Liberal Democrat conference at Dynamic Earth.

Adam Osprey with Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP

Adam and I spoke with Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow and Shadow Minister for Drugs, Alcohol and Women’s Health, where we discussed the role of community pharmacy in supporting substance use services. We also caught up with Sandesh Gulhane, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, to reinforce the key messages from our manifesto.

At the Scottish Liberal Democrat conference, Gordon heard more about the party’s policy ambitions and priorities. He is planning to follow up with Alex Cole-Hamilton, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, in the coming days to continue the conversation and ensure community pharmacy remains firmly on the agenda.

We are continuing that engagement this week, with our Policy Officer Gill Paterson attending the Scottish Labour Party conference on Friday.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• What was the purpose of attending the party conferences?

  The aim was to ensure community pharmacy was represented at key political events and that Community Pharmacy Scotland’s manifesto was part of discussions with decision makers.

• Why is it important for CPS to attend these conferences?

  Party conferences provide an opportunity to engage directly with politicians, influence policy discussions, and ensure community pharmacy priorities are understood ahead of the Scottish Elections.

• What topics were discussed?

  Conversations focused on the role of community pharmacy, including its contribution to supporting substance use services and wider healthcare delivery. Specifically supporting Annie’s ambitions to launch a substance use services in Possil 

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