Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) has announced a 1.4 per cent increase in the global sum to just over £177 million after "long and difficult negotiations". 

CPS head of pharmacy services Elspeth Weir told C+D yesterday (July 22) the "small increase" for 2015-16 would result in "very few changes" that contractors would notice.

The negotiations had been “long and difficult” and the government had been “unwilling to recognise" points that CPS considered "fair and reasonable" Ms Weir said, but the financial settlement had been accepted unanimously by the board when it felt there were "no further concessions on the table". 

Under the settlement, dispensing margin arrangements will be reviewed quarterly to deliver "greater stability" for contractors, as will clawback rates.The clawback rate willl be 3 per cent for generic items between July and September and 5.19 per cent for generic non zero-discount items for June to August.

CPS said that the value of the dispensing pool had increased from £5.95 million a month to £6 million per month from July 1 and Ms Weir advised contractors to “look out for notification of their advance payments”.

On the downside, the quality and efficiency payment threshold for electronic claims will rise to 90 per cent in the dispensing month of August. This is up from 85 per cent, and CPS warned that contractors who did not achieve 90 per cent would miss out on payment for that month.

Ms Weir said that CPS would continue to discuss with the Scottish government whether further changes needed to be made to the distribution of the global sum later this year. 

She added that the reason for a one-year settlement was due to the Holyrood elections, which will take place next year. 

What do you make of the Scottish funding settlement? 

We want to hear your views, but please express them in the spirit of a constructive, professional debate. For more information about what this means, please click here to see our community principles and information