Pharmacy Contract - Dispensing Resources

NHS Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework
Essential Service – Dispensing

The supply of medicines and appliances ordered on NHS prescriptions, together with information and advice, to enable safe and effective use by patients and carers, and maintenance of appropriate records.

Source: psnc.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Service Specification
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The October 2021 Electronic Drug Tariff

The electronic Drug Tariff provides access to the current edition of the National Health Service Drug Tariff for England and Wales, compiled on behalf of the Department of Health by the NHS Business Services Authority, NHS Prescription Services

Source: nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Electronic Drug Tariff
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The September 2021 Electronic Drug Tariff

Source: nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Electronic Drug Tariff
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Scottish Drug Tariff

The Scottish Drug Tariff is published for and on behalf of the Primary & Community Care Directorate, Scottish Govermment. The Tariff contains information regarding the prescribing, dispensing and reimbursement of medicines and appliances on primary care NHS prescriptions.

Source: isdscotland.org
Pharmacy Resource: Drug Tariff
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Endorsing Guide – National Services Scotland

Everything you need to know to support you with accurate reimbursement & remuneration can be found in the Endorsing guide.

Source: cps.scot
Pharmacy Resource: Guide
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Hints and tips
NHS Prescription Services

Hints and Tips is a quarterly bulletin designed to help our customers with their interaction with NHS Prescription Services. We produce two versions, one for dispensing contractors and one for information services users.

Source: nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Bulletins
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The dispensing process

This section explores the life cycle of a prescription in a pharmacy.

Source: psnc.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Various
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Electronic prescriptions for dispensers

Find out about using the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS), along with information about smartcards and advice on implementing the service.

Source: digital.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Various
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Alphabetical Guide to Prescription Endorsement for Pharmacy Contractors
Quick Reference Guide

Please ensure that this guide is accessible to everyone working in your dispensary who is responsible for the endorsement of prescriptions. Although some of the endorsements listed in this guide are only recommended at the moment, they are likely to become mandatory in the future.

Source: nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Guide
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Dispensing endorsement guide for dispensing contractors

Dispensing endorsement guidance for dispensing practices

Source: nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Guide
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Dispensing Factsheet: Prescription endorsements

This is a quick reference guide to the prescription endorsements which
pharmacy teams may need to use. Accurate endorsement is vital to
ensuring correct payment from the Pricing Authority.

Source: psnc.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Guide
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Electronic Prescription Service Guidance for Endorsement

Requirements and Guidance for Endorsement in the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS)

This guidance is produced to support the endorsement requirements specified in the NHS England and Wales Drug Tariff, and where applicable references to the Drug Tariff are included against Prescriber Endorsement Requirements or Dispenser Endorsement Requirements.

Source: nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Guidance
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How to get the most from endorsements

The recent news that £120m is to be taken out of Category M between October 2010 and March 2011 means that times are going to be tight for community pharmacy. It is therefore imperative that contractors get their prescription endorsements right, to try to minimise any losses that might arise from incorrect pricing. To help contractors do this, we have put together a short guide to cover some of the areas where losses might occur.

Source: gandstlpc.net
Pharmacy Resource: Guide
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Dispensing and Supply Factsheet: Is This Item Allowed?

The following factors can affect whether an item is allowed to be prescribed on the NHS or not.

Source: psnc.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Factsheet
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Prescriber codes

On 1st April 2013, a new requirement was brought in to ensure prescriptions contain a prescriber code. During pricing, the Pricing Authority use this code to identify the cost centre in order to recharge the costs to the appropriate area and to provide data on prescribing information.

Source: psnc.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions
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Clinical commissioning group details

Source: england.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: List
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A guide to dispensing Nurses’ prescriptions

There are THREE types of nurse prescriber

Source: psnc.org.uk/avon-lpc
Pharmacy Resource: Guide
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PSNC’s methadone endorsing guidance

Endorsement Guidance For Oral Liquid Methadone ONLY

Source: psnc.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Guidance
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PSNC’s Endorsing Instalment Forms Correctly Factsheet

PSNC’s Dispensing and Supply team regularly receive queries from community pharmacy teams about the dispensing of Controlled Drugs (CDs) in instalments. This factsheet advises on how to supply and endorse them correctly.

Source: psnc.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Guidance
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Broken Bulk

The broken bulk endorsement enables pharmacy contractors to claim payment for a complete pack of a product where only a part-pack has been dispensed.

Source: psnc.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Various
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Disability Discrimination Act 1995; Equality Act 2010; and Multicompartment compliance aids

This briefing updates the guidance provided by PSNC on the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, which itself had been updated in 2011 to reflect the passing of the Equality Act. It is further updated in 2013 in response to the publication by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of its guidance “Improving patient outcomes – The better use of multi-compartment compliance aids”.

Source: psnc.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Briefing
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Special Container Database

Our special container database contains information about all the products which have special container status or a sub-pack as a special container as recognised by the Pricing Authority.

Source: psnc.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Database
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Dispensing Factsheet: Unlicensed Specials and Imports

The requirements for endorsing unlicensed specials and imports vary depending on whether the product is listed in Part VIIIB or not and how the product was sourced. Contained within this guide are examples of different products and how they should be endorsed.

Source: psnc.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Factsheet
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Price Concessions

A price concession only applies for the month in which it is granted.

Source: psnc.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: List
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Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs)

This webpage contains general information about what SSPs are and when they may be used.

Source: psnc.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Various
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A Guide to Managing Medicines Supply and Shortages

This document has been developed jointly by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) to detail the national, regional and local management and escalation processes and communication routes for medicines supply issues.

This guide supports NHS teams and professionals who have responsibility for reporting a medicine supply issue, as well as those teams and professionals who need to take action when a shortage arises.

Source: england.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Guide
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Best practice for ensuring efficient supply and distribution of medicines to patients

The guidance, first published in February 2011, is produced by organisations representing the supply chain, regulators, and the government.

Medicine supply problems can occur for various reasons, such as manufacturing problems, difficulties in obtaining raw materials, regulatory issues, changes to manufacturers’ distribution systems and fluctuations in parallel trade. This guidance demonstrates stakeholders, including the government, working together to address supply issues.

The key points in the guidance are:

an expectation that, under normal circumstances, pharmacies should receive medicines within 24 hours
the importance of regular communication between manufacturers and wholesalers so that all parties have a good understanding of the supply and demand for particular products
where manufacturers put arrangements in place to verify that a medicine is required for a genuine UK patient, they should be sensitive to the workload implications for dispensers and, as part of these arrangements, dispensers should not disclose patient or prescriber identifiable details
the need for all in the supply chain to have contingency arrangements in place to source supply when there are supply difficulties

Source: gov.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Guidance
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Trading Medicines for Human Use: Shortages and Supply Chain Obligations

Guidance developed jointly with 11 organisations, including the Department of Health, representing the different parts of the supply chain.

Updated guidance setting out the key legal and ethical obligations that manufacturers, wholesalers, NHS Trusts, registered pharmacies and dispensing doctors have in the supply and trading of medicines, has been published today. The references in the updated guidance have been revised to reflect current law. There are no other changes or new requirements on the NHS.

Source: gov.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Guidance
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Information for pharmacy contractors on the sorting, submission and endorsement of prescription forms

NHS Prescription Services receives over 10,000 prescription batches every month from pharmacy contractors. To facilitate the accurate processing of these batches, pharmacy contractors should follow the basic principles outlined below when sorting, submitting and endorsing prescription forms.

Source: nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Guidance
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How to sort your prescriptions for submission

Click here to download a diagram illustrating how different types of prescriptions should be sorted within the submission bundle

Source: psnc.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Diagram
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Sorting your FP10s

You should sort your FP10 prescriptions in accordance with the guidance shown on the FP34 submission document.

Source: nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Guidance
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Information for contractors on the sorting and submission of requisitions and private prescriptions for controlled drugs

From 1 July 2006, all private prescriptions issued for controlled drugs in Schedule 2 or 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 must be ordered using the prescription form designed for this purpose – FP10PCD.

Source: nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Guidance
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Paying the Price: Prescription Charges and People with Long-Term Conditions
A report by the Prescription Charges Coalition

This report details the findings of an online survey which ran from 8 August – 31 October 2012 to explore the impact of prescription charges on people with long-term conditions in England in the current economic climate. Past research and experience from health professionals has identified that prescription charges have had a significant impact on medicine adherence, despite the existence of the Prescription Prepayment Certificate and exemptions for charges for those with some specific medical conditions and for those in receipt of certain state benefits. Member organisations are also contacted on a regular basis through their helplines and social media forums by individuals for whom prescription charges are an issue.

There has been considerable focus in recent years on reducing medicine wastage and improving the use of medicines. This report makes the case that prescription charges need to be considered as a key part of this work and strongly questions the economic value of preserving prescription charges for people with long-term conditions in England.

Source: prescriptionchargescoalition.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Report
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Multi-Charge Factsheet

In this factsheet PSNC’s Dispensing and Supply team identifies which type of items incur more than one prescription charge and lists some of the commonly encountered multiple charge items. This factsheet also provides information on charges for compression hosiery and lymphoedema garments.

Source: psnc.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Factsheet
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Factsheet: Free of charge items

In this factsheet PSNC’s Dispensing and Supply team explains what items are classed as free-of-charge (FOC) when prescribed on NHS prescription forms.

Source: psnc.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Factsheet
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Free prescriptions factsheet for dispensers

Help your patients avoid penalty charges

Source: nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Factsheet
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HC11 – Help with health costs

This booklet gives general guidance only and aims to explain, as simply as possible, the arrangements for exemptions and help with health costs.

Source: nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Booklet
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Help with Health Costs
Advice in other languages

Arabic, Bengali, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Farsi, French, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Somali, Spanish, Tamil, Turkish, Urdu, Welsh

Source: nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Leaflets
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Help with Health Costs

Low Income Scheme Q&As
Maternity Exemption Certificates Q&As
Medical Exemption Certificates Q&As
NHS Tax Credit Exemption Certificates Q&As
Prescription Prepayment Certificates Q&As

Source: nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Questions and Answers
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Tax Credits

If you receive a tax credit, use the flowchart below to check if you are automatically entitled to help with health costs.

Source: nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Flowchart
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Help with health costs for people getting Universal Credit

If you receive Universal Credit, you may also qualify for help with health costs.

Source: nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Various
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NHS Counter Fraud Authority Online Report

Anyone can use our secure online reporting form to report concerns of fraud within the NHS. Whether you are a member of the public, an NHS employee, a contractor, a supplier, from another government agency or someone else, your input can make a difference.

Source: cfa.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Online Reporting Form
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Community pharmacy supply of gluten-free foods – a toolkit for commissioners

The toolkit outlines the business case for reviewing how gluten-free foods are supplied for patients with coeliac disease. Through the use of a pharmacy led supply scheme, gluten-free foods are supplied directly from community pharmacists, thus minimising the workload for the GP practice.

The toolkit has been written by Coeliac UK, the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) and the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), and is supported by the Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology (PCSG) and the Dispensing Doctors Association.

Source: coeliac.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Toolkit
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Gluten-free foods: a revised prescribing guideline 2011
Coeliac UK

The aim of this document is to assist general practitioners (GPs), dietitians, practice nurses and pharmacists when recommending or prescribing the quantities of gluten-free foods for prescription purposes. The amounts of gluten-free food recommended should be in conjunction with a dietary assessment and advice from a registered dietitian. The recommendations can also be used as part of local protocols addressing the overall management of people with coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis (DH).

Source: coeliac.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Guideline
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Gluten Free Food on Prescription
The British Dietetic Association

Source: bda.uk.com
Pharmacy Resource: Policy Statement
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The prescription of low protein foods in PKU

There are few normal foods they can eat in unlimited quantities and these mainly include free fruits and vegetables which have a low calorie density. Therefore, the diet requires supplementation with many low protein foods that are available on ACBS prescription.

Source: nspku.org
Pharmacy Resource: Guideline
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Valproate Pregnancy Prevention Programme: actions required now from GPs, specialists, and dispensers

Valproate medicines must not be used in women of childbearing potential unless the Pregnancy Prevention Programme is in place. If you are involved in the care of female patients on valproate in the UK, see a reminder of actions required for this medicine.

Source: gov.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Update
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Pharmacist Checklist
Dispensing Oral Isotretinoin

This booklet is intended for pharmacists who are involved with dispensing Isotretinoin and it provides a guide to dispensing Isotretinoin in accordance with the Pregnancy Prevention Programme

Source: medicines.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Checklist
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Isotretinoin for severe acne: uses and effects

Isotretinoin is available only on prescription and should be prescribed only in a consultant-led team. Prescriptions for isotretinoin should be issued under the consultant’s name from a hospital-based pharmacy. This way, specialists with the most experience can advise patients about the important safety issues associated with isotretinoin.

Source: gov.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Guidance
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Prescription direction statement
PSNC, Pharmacy Voice and the British Medical Association

‘Prescription direction’ occurs where a patient is being directed by their GP practice to a certain pharmacy to have their prescription dispensed.

Source: bma.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Statement
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PSNC Briefing 095/13: Direction of Prescriptions

This PSNC Briefing includes summaries of the regulations and guidance relevant to this topic, as well as an update on PSNC’s work in the area, and may be of use to contractors and LPCs affected by the issue.

Source: psnc.org.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Briefing
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Prescriptions Dispensed in the Community – Statistics for England, 2007-2017

This bulletin presents a summary of prescription items dispensed in the community by community pharmacists, appliance contractors and dispensing doctors in England. The bulletin highlights recent changes and the main trends between 2007 and 2017.

Source: digital.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Resource: Publication
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Pharmacy Resources Last Checked: 30/09/2021

Pharmacy Contract – Dispensing