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The chair of the health and social care committee Layla Moran has given NHS England until March 14 to reveal when the eagerly awaited economic analysis of community pharmacy will be published and if so, if it will be produced in full.

In a letter yesterday pressing outgoing NHSE chief executive Amanda Pritchard for answers, Moran referred to her committee’s finding during its inquiry into pharmacy last year that community pharmacy's contractual framework was “broken” and “not fit for purpose”.

The economic review is regarded by community pharmacy as a vital piece of work informing funding talks which are taking place between the government and Community Pharmacy England.

The analysis lays bare the true scale of the funding shortfall in pharmacy, the economic cost of delivering NHS pharmaceutical services and whether pharmacies are viable under the current funding model.

Asking Pritchard for answers, Moran said: “When you anticipate this analysis to be fully completed? Do you intend to publish the analysis, and accompanying data, in full? If so, when will it be published (and) if not, why, and what will you publish instead?”

Contractors had been kept in the dark for weeks over when and if the economic review will be published until NHSE and CPE last week issued statements saying the former was "committed to publishing the report”.

CPE said its committee members saw “draft findings” of the report during its meeting this month and “will receive the full report when it is ready”.

However, it is still unclear exactly when the review will be published and whether the full analysis will be made public.

National Pharmacy Association chair Nick Kaye reiterated his view that there was “no reason why this document cannot be published immediately”.

Insisting the NPA has called for “much-needed transparency”, Kaye said: “It is vitally important the public can fully understand the financial pressures affecting community pharmacy before any offer is put forward by the government.”