Temporary Safeguarding Payment Agreement
GMLPC would like to remind contractors that payments are available for pharmacies that have been adversely effected by increases in prescription duration.
Part XIVC of the Drug Tariff sets out the temporary safeguarding payment arrangements put in place where a pharmacy contractor’s dispensing business is adversely affected if prescribers systematically increase prescription duration on all or a significant percentage of their prescription items, due to direct or indirect instigation by the CCG. This could lead to dispensing contractors facing increased supplier bills in certain months (as more medicines are dispensed per prescription than usual) and then decreased prescription item volume in subsequent months.
There are two payments available, depending on the type of claim made:
- Payment due to an increase in supplier bills following an increase in prescription volume (Claim 1).
- Payment due to an increase in prescription duration and the subsequent drop in items dispensed and therefore fewer fees (Claim 2).
