NHS Pharmacy First Scotland Service

Financial Framework · 2025-26

Global Sum

Remunerating contractors for making the service available and for episodes of care provided — combining a base payment with an activity element.

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At a Glance

Key Figures for 2025-26

Annualised Pool

£35.8m

Total annualised NHS Pharmacy First Scotland funding pool.

Base Payment

£1,000

Per month for all contractors from 1 April 2025.

Activity Pot (Monthly)

£1.725m

Monthly activity payment pot shared among eligible contractors.

Payment Structure

Base Element + Activity Element

Base Element

£1,000 / month

All contractors receive the base payment of £1,000 per month from 1 April 2025 for making the NHS Pharmacy First Scotland service available to their community.

Activity Element

£1.725m pot / month

Contractors receive a share of the activity pot where their activity level is above the minimum of 100 interventions per month — recorded on PMR systems as Advice, Referral or Treatment.

To be eligible for the activity payment, contractors must record a minimum of 100 interventions per month. Activity is recorded on PMR systems as Advice, Referral or Treatment.

Update from 1 July 2025

Weightings for NHS Pharmacy First Patient Group Direction (PGD) activities will increase from 3 to 5, recognising the additional clinical input required for PGD consultations.

Recorded Activity

Three Types of Intervention

Advice
Providing clinical advice and guidance to patients presenting at the pharmacy.
Referral
Referring patients to other appropriate healthcare services where required.
Treatment
Providing treatment including via Patient Group Directions (PGDs) — weighted 5 from July 2025.