Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) has reached a settlement with the Scottish Government around the 18/19 financial package for the community pharmacy network, with the remuneration Global Sum reset for at £180.959m, an increase of £2.6m on the previous year. 

CPS says that the settlement will reduce the reliance on reimbursement of the cost of medicines and continue the process of developing its contractual arrangements to reflect funding alongside appropriate service provision to the Scottish population.

"This principle is a mutual aim of both CPS and the Scottish Government to build a sustainable funding model to support the pharmacy network and support the aspirations of our Vision and ‘Achieving Excellence in Pharmaceutical Care’ over the coming years," it stated.

Numark welcomed the move with MD, Jeremy Meader also highlighting the lessening of the reliance on reimbursement-based medicines supply. "With the added acknowledgement that the clawback mechanism would be suspended or adjusted should there be further deterioration in the market place, this truly is a recognition that pharmacy in Scotland continues to move more towards delivery of services while protecting themselves against the continual fluctuations of pricing in the medicines supply chain," he said.

"Numark would like to, once again, encourage all of the other home countries and their negotiation bodies to aspire towards the Scottish model and use this as their template in achieving what is right and proper for community pharmacy across the UK. We must reduce our exposure to the increasing and unpredictable fluctuations of pricing in the market place while at the same time moving towards a service orientated contract."