The Pharmacy Show

At The Pharmacy Show you get two days of trade exhibition and education built for community and primary care pharmacy, with free entry if you are a UK-registered healthcare professional or pharmacist. CloserStill Media organises the show in Hall 4 at NEC Birmingham. The organiser describes it as the UK’s largest trade show and educational conference for that sector, and the 2027 edition marks the show’s 20th anniversary.

Two days in October 2027

You can visit on either of two days, Sunday 10 and Monday 11 October 2027. Doors open at 09:00 on both days, closing at 18:00 on the Sunday and 16:30 on the Monday. The show website is taking registrations of interest, and if you sign up you are told first when ticket registration opens.

Who can attend free

You can attend free if you are a UK-registered healthcare professional or pharmacist. Free passes also cover buyers, wholesalers and distributors, senior leaders working in a pharmacy or healthcare establishment, and journalists on request and approval. Other applications are considered case by case. Applicants for a free pass sign a disclaimer at the start of the registration form, and every registration is vetted by the organiser.

If you work for a commercial company, or do not meet those rules, you can apply for a Commercial Delegate Pass at £249 plus VAT, with a £4 admin fee on top. Undergraduate students and under-18s cannot attend, a restriction the organiser links to the ABPI Code of Practice.

Education suited to revalidation, plus workshops and networking

The organiser says the programme is suited to your revalidation. The 2026 show had more than 160 speakers delivering over 130 sessions across nine theatres, covering clinical practice, business growth, digital transformation and healthcare policy. Alongside the talks are interactive workshops and live demonstrations on the show floor, with details of the practical sessions due to be released in the summer.

Networking features include the Networking Zone, a dedicated Networking Hour that was new in 2026, and the Pharmacy Owners Forum for senior attendees. The Partners Wanted Programme is aimed at bringing wholesalers, distributors and active purchasers to meet suppliers. The show is funded by the pharmaceutical and med tech industries through grants, sponsorship and exhibition packages, and sessions produced with sponsor input are marked on the programme, so you can spot them.

The visitors and suppliers you will meet

You meet pharmacy owners, buyers, wholesalers, distributors and senior leaders, who were among the more than 9,600 pharmacy professionals the organiser says the 2026 show drew. More than 340 suppliers exhibited on a floor that was expanded because of demand, and the 2026 exhibitor list is published on the show website. Attendees quoted on the site work as community pharmacists, superintendent pharmacists, pharmacy managers and heads of pharmacy.

Exhibiting

As an exhibitor you get brand exposure across the show’s channels from sign-up, and education theatres sit within the hall, which the organiser says drives visitor flow past stands. Stands for 2027 can be booked through the show website. A show brochure, a product breakdown report and the 2026 exhibitor list are available for prospective exhibitors. The organiser also offers event app features, targeted advertising, speaking opportunities in the new theatre and sponsorship options for theatre sessions. One exhibitor quoted on the site found the Sunday good for meeting pharmacy owners and the Monday better for commercial teams and wholesalers. Our guide to building an exhibition budget covers the costs to plan for.

Related shows

You can plan other visits, as CloserStill Media also runs the Occupational Therapy Show at the NEC in November 2026, BVA Live at the same venue in March 2027 and the London Vet Show at Excel London in November 2026. Nursing Live is another healthcare event at the NEC in November 2026. More dates are in the healthcare trade show listings and the Birmingham trade show calendar. See also our guide to choosing your first UK trade show.

Getting there

You can walk to the NEC under cover from the train, as it is a five-minute covered walk from Birmingham International railway station, which is linked to Birmingham Airport by a free air-rail shuttle taking 90 seconds. The venue asks drivers to follow event signs to the right car park rather than relying on the postcode, then use the free shuttle bus or signposted footpaths. Paying for parking in advance online saves you £5. Hilton Birmingham Metropole, whose Brightsmith On The Water restaurant has views of Pendigo Lake, is among the venue’s hotel partners.

Source: thepharmacyshow.co.uk/why-attend-nec, thepharmacyshow.co.uk/exhibit, thenec.co.uk/events/the-pharmacy-show, thenec.co.uk/visitors/getting-here