On Friday 8 March 2019 the Department of Health and Social Care and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee announced that they had agreed interim funding arrangements for the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) to take effect from 1 April 2019 until negotiations on the CPCF conclude.

It was announced that the current level of funding of £2.592 billion per year will continue for the time being but that Category M reimbursement prices will increase by £10 million per month until negotiations on the CPCF end due to the reductions that were previously put in place in November to recover excess margin coming to an end.

Within the funding, it was also announced that:

• no further Quality Payments Scheme requirements or checkpoints have been set with the future of the scheme seemingly falling part of future funding negotiations;
• pharmacies eligible for Pharmacy Access Scheme payments will continue to receive them at the same rate as in the previous year;
• the number of medicine use reviews that pharmacy contractors can deliver between 1 April 2019 and 30 September 2019 will be capped at 200; and
• The NUMSAS pilot (NHS Urgent Medicine Supply Advanced Service) will continue to be commissioned until 30 September 2019 with its future also forming part of the future funding negotiations.

PSNC expects the negotiations on future funding arrangements to start before Easter and hopes to have them concluded in time for implementation from October 2019.

Ansons Solicitors have developed an expertise in the pharmacy sector with a team of specialist pharmacy solicitors who understand the particular needs of the industry and appreciate the specific requirements of a pharmacy business. We also have a network of close professional contacts within the pharmacy sector, which includes a range of trusted advisors who can help with pharmacy specific accountancy services and pharmacy regulation. If you wish to speak to someone in our pharmacy team, please feel free to contact Emma Benniston on 01543 431930 or ebenniston@ansons.law