Introduction
Before a pharmacy, or any other NHS concern, can provide NHS dispensing services in Scotland, it must enter into a contract with the local NHS Board to provide dispensing service for the NHS. This is often a formality if an existing business is being taken over. The contract basis is that the applicant shall:
- supply a comprehensive dispensing service
- provide other services at the NHS Board deems fit
- be open to the public at agreed hours.
The general 'terms of service' form the basis of part one of the Scottish drug Tariff. The business rather than the individual is deemed to be a contractor, which is the term that is used throughout the Practitioner Services Division. A contractor can be:
- a community pharmacy business
- a dispensing doctor
- an appliance supplier
- stoma providers
There are several topics covered within this section of pharmacy services; dispenser remuneration, the minor ailments service and prescriptions charges.
Dispenser Remuneration
The information below details payments made to Scottish contractors of pharmaceuticals within the community. The information shows the remuneration and reimbursement amounts at NHS Scotland level, and split into three defined contractor groupings; community pharmacies, appliance suppliers and dispensing doctors.
By Calendar Year
Calendar_Year_2011_Mar12_release.xls 
[184kb]
Calendar_Year_2010.xls [155kb]
Calendar year 2009.xls [155kb]
Calendar year 2008.xls [166kb]
Calendar year 2007.xls [176kb]
Calendar year 2006.xls [170kb]
Calendar year 2005.xls [96kb]
Calendar year 2004.xls [89kb]
Calendar year 2003.xls [94kb]
Calendar year 2002.xls [91kb]
By Financial Year
Financial_Year_2011_Mar12_release.xls [152kb]
Financial year 0910.xls [155kb]
Financial year 0809.xls [159kb]
Financial year 0708 revised.xls [172kb]
Financial year 0607.xls [241kb]
Financial year 0506.xls [159kb]
Financial year 0405.xls [156kb]
Financial year 0304.xls [156kb]
Financial year 0203.xls [96kb]
Minor Ailment Service
As part of 'Delivery for Health' The Right Medicine, the Scottish Executive's eHealth strategy for pharmaceutical care in Scotland has given direction for these new services. Information Services Division (ISD), part of NHS National Services Scotland (NSS), have played an integral role in developing these services with the resultant roll out in 2006 of the Minor Ailment Service, the first service to be implemented from the ePharmacy Programme.
The Minor Ailment service (MAS) aims to support the provision of direct pharmaceutical care within the NHS by community pharmacists. It allows eligible people to register with a community pharmacist of their choice for the consultation and treatment of common self limiting conditions. The pharmacist advises, treats or refers the persons (or provides a combination of these actions) according to their needs. A person must be registered with a Scottish GP practices and exempt from prescription charges to be eligible of the service. Information on the number of registrations and the treatment options by the NHS Board to which the contractors belong can be found in the reports detailed below.
Minor Ailments Service (MAS) Registrations - September 2008 - September 2010
Prescription Charges
Prescriptions in the National Health Service (NHS) in Scotland were dispensed free at the point on delivery from the official inception of the NHS in July 1948 to June 1952, when a small charge was introduced. The charge was then abolished in February 1965 and re-introduced in July 1968. It remained in force since then and as at 1st April 2010, was £3.00 per item. In 2007 the Scottish Government published a proposal to abolish prescription charges by April 2011. Information on the cost of single prescriptions and pre-payment certificated in Scotland is shown by financial quarter.
