Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) could not give further details about the nature of the incidents, but stressed that they were "fully resolved by the investigatory process and appropriate learnings put in place".

As a result of the incidents – which were investigated by local health boards and the NHS Counter Fraud Service – the government drafted a set of 10 principles, due to come into force on August 1.

"Do not offer incentives"

The  principles include a reminder that pharmacists “must not offer incentives to the public or staff, set targets or undertake activity that amounts to a recruitment drive”.

Pharmacists must "always obtain the patient's or [a] representative's consent" and "always ascertain the patient's eligibility for MAS", the government said in the document.

This means patients must not "batch-register" patients for the service "other than in exceptional circumstances", such as when IT problems require forms to be completed manually, it added. 

CPS urged all pharmacists to “revisit their [MAS] practice” and ensure it fits with the “directions and intentions of the service”.

The Scottish negotiator has called for anonymised examples of MAS incidents to be shared so it can “support the intent” behind the changes to the guidelines.

Regulatory action

Last month, the former manager of a Boots branch in Glasgow was suspended for nine months for fraudulently registering patients for the MAS. In his hearing, the General Pharmaceutical Council accepted that the individual felt “under considerable pressure” to meet targets at the branch.