PSNC and NHS Employers are reviewing the banded payment structure for the new medicine service (NMS) "as a matter of urgency", following complaints from pharmacists.

The organisations were taking the feedback from "a small number of contractors" seriously, PSNC told C+D. However, the current arrangements would stay in place while the review was carried out.

"In the meantime we would encourage contractors to deliver the NMS in order to support the development of the service and the benefit of patients," PSNC said.

Concerns were raised regarding the payment structure ahead of the NMS's launch in October by some contractors and the C+D Senate. 

But PSNC said at the time that pharmacists would "quickly become familiar with the funding".

"The underlying aim is to motivate pharmacies to build the NMS into their practice more rapidly and systematically than [they did] with MURs," said PSNC chief executive Sue Sharpe.

Check how much you'll be paid for the service using C+D's NMS payment checker.