Scottish dispensing GPs can expect a share of an advance cash payment on 23 January 2023.

NHS Circular PCA(P)(2023)1 advises that the payment for all Scottish contractors (dispensing GPs, pharmacies and DACs will total £28.764m.

This will be paid to contractors as a proportionate share of the August 2022 (paid October 2022) dispensing activity. Payment is automatic for eligible contractors and there is no need to apply.  Eligibility is to be on the pharmaceutical list from 1 August 2022 and to have a calculated based dispensing payment for that month.

The circular also advises that details on recovery clawback will be published within weeks and will be based on network conditions.

Scotland’s Pharmacy and Medicines Division says that a decrease in margin coupled with high operational and drug costs have prompted the action to “alleviate pressure on contractors”.