England 2016/17 to 2025/26
Published 15 October 2026
Key findings
In England in 2025/26:
there were 11,011 community pharmacies that submitted prescriptions for processing. You can find important information about interpreting this figure in section 3. At 31 March 2026, there were 10,388 community pharmacies open in England.
there were 113 appliance contractors that submitted prescriptions for processing
1.19 billion prescription items were dispensed by community pharmacies - a 2.5% increase from 2024/25
an additional 2.49 million items were issued following Pharmacy First clinical pathways consultations
13.3 million prescription items were dispensed by appliance contractors - a 6.3% increase from 2024/25
1.16 billion prescription items were dispensed via the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS), 97% of all items dispensed
the cost of drugs and appliances reimbursed totalled £10.8 billion - a 3.5% increase from 2024/25
1. Things you should know
1.1 Introduction
This publication is an accredited official statistic release. Accredited official statistics status means that General Pharmaceutical Services (GPhS) - England complies with the Code of Practice for Statistics, showing trustworthiness, quality and value.
The designation of this publication as an accredited official statistic was confirmed in December 2021 following an independent review by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). You can read more about this confirmation and the assessment of these statistics on the OSR website.
1.2 Background
From 1 April 2013, NHS England has been responsible for the commissioning of NHS pharmaceutical services in England and for negotiating changes to arrangements for the provision of services. The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) for pharmacy contractors is set out in the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013, and the Pharmaceutical Services (Advanced and Enhanced Services) (England) Directions 2013 are contained within the Drug Tariff for England and Wales.
The 2013 regulations state that a person who is not a doctor or dentist must be included in a pharmaceutical list to be permitted to provide pharmaceutical services for the NHS. NHS England are required to prepare and maintain lists of those whose applications have been granted to be listed as a pharmaceutical provider for both community pharmacy and appliance contractors. The lists specify both the premises and the named contractor.
Community pharmacies and appliance contractors receive payment for the costs and fees incurred while providing services to the general public on behalf of the NHS. To receive this, they must submit their prescriptions to the NHSBSA along with a submission document known as the FP34C. This has recently been digitised by the Manage Your Submission (MYS) application but was historically done via a paper form that accompanied paper prescription batches.
Data on advanced services such as the provision of New Medicines Service (NMS) and Appliance Use Reviews (AURs) is taken from the FP34C submission document, or from the MYS application, and passed to NHSBSA payment systems. There it is used to calculate payments that are to be made to community pharmacies and appliance contractors.
For more information, please refer to the Background Information and Methodology released alongside these statistics.
1.3 Scope
Data is collected from prescriptions submitted to the NHSBSA by dispensing contractors, which are community pharmacies and appliance contractors. These prescriptions are issued by GPs or other authorised prescribers such as nurses, dentists, and allied health professionals. Prescriptions that are issued by hospitals may also be dispensed in the community and submitted for reimbursement.
Data is limited in this publication to only prescription items that have been dispensed by a community pharmacy or appliance contractor in England. Items dispensed by dispensing doctors, hospitals or prisons, or submitted for reimbursement via a personal administration account have been excluded.
Data on advanced services provided by community pharmacies and appliance contractors is limited to where a claim has been submitted to NHSBSA in relation to performing one of those services. Counts around the number of services provided are based upon the number of times a fee has been paid to a contractor. The figures of the number of contractors that provide a service are based upon the number of contractors that have received payment of at least one fee for that service.
This publication aims to describe the activity of community pharmacies and appliance contractors in England across the whole financial year.
You can use the statistics in this release to understand how many pharmacy and appliance contracts have submitted prescriptions to the NHSBSA for processing each year, as well as how many have provided essential, enhanced and advanced services to NHS patients..
You cannot use these statistics to:
- monitor pharmacy and appliance contractor openings and closures
- understand how many community pharmacies are open at a point in time
- understand how many physical community pharmacy premises there are and their locations
1.4 What is in these statistics
These statistics detail:
- the number of prescription items dispensed
- the reimbursement costs of prescription items dispensed
- the number of single activity fees received
- the remuneration costs of single activity fees received
- the number of essential and advanced services provided
- the associated costs for essential and advanced services
Prescriptions that are issued in hospitals and fulfilled by the hospital pharmacy or dispensary are not included in this data.
These statistics cover the financial years between April 2016 and March 2026.
1.5 Definitions
Item
A single unit of medication listed separately on a prescription form. In this publication, an example of an item would be Fluoxetine 20mg tablets x56.
Dispensing contractor
A dispensing contractor is either a community pharmacy or appliance contractor. Community pharmacies can dispense both drugs and appliances. Appliance contractors are limited to the supply of appliances as listed in Part IXA, IXB and IXC of the Drug Tariff.
Active pharmacies and appliance contractors
An active community pharmacy or appliance contractor is one that has
submitted prescriptions to the NHSBSA for processing in the reporting
period. Even if a pharmacy opens, submits prescriptions, and closes in
the same year, it is still counted as active for that
year.
Pharmacy contracts can change providers while staying at
the same location. When this happens a new organisation code may be
assigned. This measure counts active pharmacies based on organisation
codes, not physical premises.
Form
Prescription forms are either paper forms or electronic messages sent via the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS). EPS allows prescribers to send prescriptions electronically to a dispenser, such as a pharmacy, of the patient’s choice. EPS makes the prescribing and dispensing process more efficient and convenient for patients and staff.
Drug cost
There are many costs incurred when a dispensing contractor fulfils a prescription. The drug cost refers to the basic price of the item and quantity prescribed that is reimbursed back to the contractor. This is sometimes called the ‘Net Ingredient Cost’ (NIC). Costs paid to contractors to cover the cost of dispensed items are referred to as reimbursement. The basic price is determined by the Drug Tariff or by the manufacturer, wholesaler, or supplier of the product.
Fees
Fees are payable to dispensing contractors for dispensing prescriptions and for providing essential and advanced services to NHS patients. Many, but not all, fees are described in these statistics and are included in the accompanying summary tables. Details of what fees are payable to community pharmacies and appliance contractors can be found in the Drug Tariff. Fee payments to dispensing contractors for prescribing and other services are known as remuneration.
Essential services
Essential services are those listed in the NHS CPCF that all pharmacy contractors must provide to NHS patients.
Advanced services
There are several advanced services within the NHS CPCF. Community pharmacies can choose to provide any of these services as long as they meet the requirements set out in the Secretary of State Directions.
Enhanced services
As well as national services provided by all pharmacies, the NHS CPCF also includes services that are commissioned at a local level. These are known as Local Enhanced Services (LES). In December 2021, provisions were made within the NHS (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013 for a new type of Enhanced service, the National Enhanced Service. Under this type of service, NHS England commissions an enhanced service that is nationally specified.
Further definitions of terms used in this publication can be found in the glossary of the Background Information and Methodology supporting document that accompanies this release.
2. Results and commentary
The charts in these statistics are interactive and allow you to isolate the aspect that you are interested in by selecting or deselecting a series from the legend of the chart. For example, if you only want to view data for community pharmacies, you can click the other categories in the legend of the chart to deselect them. If you wish to include them again just click on their legend entry once more.
2.1 Essential services for contractors
The number of community pharmacies and appliance contractors between 2016/17 and 2025/26
Chart
Figure 1: The number of active community pharmacies decreased in 2025/26 from 2024/25
Table
Table 1: The number of active community pharmacies decreased in 2025/26 from 2024/25
| Financial year | Contractor type | Number of contractors |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/2017 | Community pharmacies | 11,890 |
| 2016/2017 | Appliance contractors | 111 |
| 2017/2018 | Community pharmacies | 11,972 |
| 2017/2018 | Appliance contractors | 111 |
| 2018/2019 | Community pharmacies | 11,886 |
| 2018/2019 | Appliance contractors | 111 |
| 2019/2020 | Community pharmacies | 11,826 |
| 2019/2020 | Appliance contractors | 112 |
| 2020/2021 | Community pharmacies | 11,636 |
| 2020/2021 | Appliance contractors | 112 |
| 2021/2022 | Community pharmacies | 11,522 |
| 2021/2022 | Appliance contractors | 111 |
| 2022/2023 | Community pharmacies | 11,414 |
| 2022/2023 | Appliance contractors | 111 |
| 2023/2024 | Community pharmacies | 12,009 |
| 2023/2024 | Appliance contractors | 112 |
| 2024/2025 | Community pharmacies | 11,098 |
| 2024/2025 | Appliance contractors | 111 |
| 2025/2026 | Community pharmacies | 11,011 |
| 2025/2026 | Appliance contractors | 113 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Table 1
In England in 2025/26:
There were 11,011 active community pharmacies.
There were 113 active appliance contractors.
In 2025/26, there were 87 less active community pharmacies than in 2024/25.
In 2023/24, an increased number of pharmacy contracts changed providers compared to previous years. This inflated the number of active pharmacies in 2023/24 compared to the number of pharmacy premises. However the number of active pharmacies is now at its lowest since 2016/17.
Monthly data relating to dispensing contractors can be accessed via the NHSBSA Open Data Portal.
The total items dispensed by community pharmacies and appliance contractors between 2016/17 and 2025/26
Chart
Figure 2: The number of items dispensed by community pharmacies and appliance contractors increased in 2025/26
Table
Table 2: The number of items dispensed by community pharmacies and appliance contractors increased in 2025/26
| Financial year | Contractor type | Total items |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/2017 | Community pharmacies | 1,015,564,061 |
| 2017/2018 | Community pharmacies | 1,013,292,403 |
| 2018/2019 | Community pharmacies | 1,015,065,205 |
| 2019/2020 | Community pharmacies | 1,035,763,855 |
| 2020/2021 | Community pharmacies | 1,016,769,042 |
| 2021/2022 | Community pharmacies | 1,043,054,782 |
| 2022/2023 | Community pharmacies | 1,078,984,056 |
| 2023/2024 | Community pharmacies | 1,112,651,232 |
| 2024/2025 | Community pharmacies | 1,156,322,990 |
| 2025/2026 | Community pharmacies | 1,185,016,723 |
| 2016/2017 | Appliance contractors | 8,492,704 |
| 2017/2018 | Appliance contractors | 8,627,910 |
| 2018/2019 | Appliance contractors | 9,043,637 |
| 2019/2020 | Appliance contractors | 9,787,035 |
| 2020/2021 | Appliance contractors | 10,020,141 |
| 2021/2022 | Appliance contractors | 10,908,020 |
| 2022/2023 | Appliance contractors | 11,126,886 |
| 2023/2024 | Appliance contractors | 11,671,262 |
| 2024/2025 | Appliance contractors | 12,509,047 |
| 2025/2026 | Appliance contractors | 13,298,484 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Tables 3 and 10
In England in 2025/26:
There were 1.19 billion items dispensed by community pharmacies.
There were 13.3 million items dispensed by appliance contractors.
Total items for community pharmacies have trended upwards for the last five years.
The data in this section excludes items issued under the Pharmacy First Clinical Pathways advanced service.
The number of items dispensed by community pharmacies in England in 2025/26 increased by 2.48% from 1.16 billion in 2024/25. Overall, the number of items dispensed by community pharmacies is 17% higher than the 1.02 billion items dispensed in 2016/17.
The number of items dispensed by appliance contractors in 2025/26 increased by 6.31% from 2024/25. This has increased each year since 2016/17.
The average number of items dispensed per contractor between 2016/17 and 2025/26
Chart
Figure 3: The average number of items dispensed increased for both community pharmacies and appliance contractors between 2024/25 and 2025/26
Table
Table 3: The average number of items dispensed increased for both community pharmacies and appliance contractors between 2024/25 and 2025/26
| Financial year | Contractor type | Average items |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/2017 | Community pharmacy | 85,413 |
| 2017/2018 | Community pharmacy | 84,639 |
| 2018/2019 | Community pharmacy | 85,400 |
| 2019/2020 | Community pharmacy | 87,584 |
| 2020/2021 | Community pharmacy | 87,381 |
| 2021/2022 | Community pharmacy | 90,527 |
| 2022/2023 | Community pharmacy | 94,532 |
| 2023/2024 | Community pharmacy | 92,651 |
| 2024/2025 | Community pharmacy | 104,192 |
| 2025/2026 | Community pharmacy | 107,621 |
| 2016/2017 | Appliance contractor | 76,511 |
| 2017/2018 | Appliance contractor | 77,729 |
| 2018/2019 | Appliance contractor | 81,474 |
| 2019/2020 | Appliance contractor | 87,384 |
| 2020/2021 | Appliance contractor | 89,466 |
| 2021/2022 | Appliance contractor | 98,270 |
| 2022/2023 | Appliance contractor | 100,242 |
| 2023/2024 | Appliance contractor | 104,208 |
| 2024/2025 | Appliance contractor | 112,694 |
| 2025/2026 | Appliance contractor | 117,686 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Tables 3 and 10
In England in 2025/26:
On average, there were 108,000 items dispensed per contractor by community pharmacies.
On average, there were 118,000 items dispensed per contractor by appliance contractors.
The data in this section excludes items issued under the Pharmacy First Clinical Pathways advanced service.
The yearly average number of items dispensed per contractor has been calculated by dividing the total number of items dispensed by the total number of active contractors. This average is a mean. For important information about interpreting this figure please see section 3.
The average number of items dispensed per community pharmacy has increased by 3.29% from 104,000 in 2024/25. This is an increase of 26% from the average of 85,400 in 2016/17.
The average yearly items dispensed for appliance contractors has increased each year since 2016/17 and was higher than the average items dispensed for community pharmacies since 2020/21.
Total items dispensed by Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) for dispensing contractors between 2016/17 and 2025/26
Chart
Figure 4: The percentage of items dispensed via EPS increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
Table
Table 4: The percentage of items dispensed via EPS increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
| Financial year | Paper items dispensed | EPS items dispensed | All items dispensed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016/2017 | 489,698,825 | 534,357,940 | 1,024,056,765 |
| 2017/2018 | 377,857,571 | 644,062,742 | 1,021,920,313 |
| 2018/2019 | 310,827,663 | 713,281,179 | 1,024,108,842 |
| 2019/2020 | 237,414,648 | 808,136,242 | 1,045,550,890 |
| 2020/2021 | 62,460,095 | 964,329,088 | 1,026,789,183 |
| 2021/2022 | 49,871,803 | 1,004,090,999 | 1,053,962,802 |
| 2022/2023 | 47,974,011 | 1,042,136,931 | 1,090,110,942 |
| 2023/2024 | 43,545,268 | 1,080,777,226 | 1,124,322,494 |
| 2024/2025 | 38,734,338 | 1,130,097,699 | 1,168,832,037 |
| 2025/2026 | 33,660,561 | 1,164,654,646 | 1,198,315,207 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Tables 3 and 10
In England in 2025/26:
There were 1.16 billion prescription items dispensed by EPS.
98.9% of contractors dispensed at least one item by EPS.
The data in this section excludes items issued under the Pharmacy First Clinical Pathways advanced service.
An NHS prescription may take the form of either a paper form presented to a contractor by a patient, or an electronic message sent by the EPS.
In 2025/26, 97% of all items were dispensed by EPS. This was an increase of 45 percentage points from 2016/17, when 534 million items were dispensed via EPS, 52% of all items.
In the 5 years between 2016/17 and 2020/21 the number of items dispensed by EPS increased from 534 million to 964 million, an increase of 80%. In the following years between 2021/22 and 2025/26 this increase was 16%. Since November 2019 it has been a requirement for all eligible prescriptions to be issued from general practice by EPS. This meant 2020/21 was the first full financial year affected by that requirement. The growth was also further accelerated by digital adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time NHS services tried to reduce unnecessary face-to-face contact in GP surgeries and pharmacies. Growth continued in subsequent years but at a slower rate as EPS had already become the main method of prescribing in primary care, leaving less scope for further increases.
The total costs and value of fees received by contractors between 2016/17 and 2025/26
Single Activity Fee (SAF)
Contractors can receive many payments for fulfilling a prescription. These include being reimbursed for the basic price of the drug or appliance they have dispensed and receiving fees that relate to the dispensing of that item. There are many fees that can be claimed by a contractor depending on the item that is dispensed. Details of what fees are payable to community pharmacies and appliance contractors can be found in the Drug Tariff.
The SAF is a fixed fee that applies to every prescription item that is dispensed. The SAF was introduced in December 2016 by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to consolidate a range of payments into one single fee. These payments were:
- the professional fee (also known as dispensing fee)
- practice payment
- repeat dispensing payment
- EPS monthly allowance
Chart
Figure 5: The total costs and value of fees received for contractors increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
Table
Table 5: The total costs and value of fees received for contractors increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
| Financial year | Total reimbursement | Value of single activity fees |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/2017 | 8,589,618,958 | 1,018,450,103 |
| 2017/2018 | 8,504,762,057 | 1,315,225,532 |
| 2018/2019 | 8,228,668,477 | 1,328,838,400 |
| 2019/2020 | 8,648,732,808 | 1,344,535,917 |
| 2020/2021 | 8,970,453,562 | 1,314,795,362 |
| 2021/2022 | 9,045,100,933 | 1,366,090,661 |
| 2022/2023 | 9,723,862,471 | 1,398,342,551 |
| 2023/2024 | 10,206,042,848 | 1,441,350,874 |
| 2024/2025 | 10,424,730,389 | 1,497,503,152 |
| 2025/2026 | 10,791,073,394 | 1,761,383,417 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Tables 3, 5 and 10
In England in 2025/26:
The total for drugs and appliance reimbursement costs paid to contractors was £10.8 billion.
The value of single activity fees paid to contractors was £1.76 billion.
Figure 5 shows the total value of costs for drugs and appliances reimbursed to contractors, along with the value of all single activity fees (SAF) that have been claimed. This is not the total amount paid to contractors for dispensing an item as many fees are not included in these figures, such as additional fees that apply to controlled drugs.
Costs reimbursed to contractors increased in 2025/26, for the seventh consecutive year. Costs increased by 3.51% from 2024/25 from £10.4 billion.
In 2025/26 the value of SAFs received by contractors increased by 18% from £1.50 billion in 2024/25.
It should be noted, prior to December 2016 the figures reported are for professional fees only, and do not include the 3 additional payments that the SAF consists of.
Table 5a: Dispensing fees, their value, and when they came into effect
| Fee name | Fee value (pence) | Fee start date | Fee end date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional fee | 90 | 01 Jan 2001 | 30 Nov 2016 |
| Single activity fee | 113 | 01 Dec 2016 | 31 Mar 2017 |
| Single activity fee | 125 | 01 Apr 2017 | 31 Oct 2017 |
| Single activity fee | 129 | 01 Nov 2017 | 31 Oct 2018 |
| Single activity fee | 126 | 01 Nov 2018 | 31 Jul 2019 |
| Single activity fee | 127 | 01 Aug 2019 | 31 Jul 2021 |
| Single activity fee | 129 | 01 Aug 2021 | 31 Mar 2022 |
| Single activity fee | 127 | 01 Apr 2022 | 31 Mar 2025 |
| Single activity fee | 146 | 01 Apr 2025 | 30 Apr 2026 |
2.2 Advanced Services for contractors
Seasonal influenza vaccination advanced service
In 2015 community pharmacies began providing seasonal influenza vaccinations under a nationally commissioned service by NHS England & Improvement, now NHS England. Each year from September through to March pharmacy contractors can administer flu vaccines to patients and submit a claim to NHSBSA for payment. This includes reimbursement of the cost of the vaccine, plus a fee for providing the service to NHS patients.
The figures in these statistics for flu vaccinations only relate to those administered by community pharmacies, and do not include vaccines issued to GP patients, or healthcare workers. Official statistics for these are produced by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and can be found on their Immunisation webpage.
Prior to 2025/26 these figures do not include vaccinations issued to children of primary school age. From October 2025 a separate Childhood Influenza Vaccination Pilot also operates alongside the adult service, these figures are included in these statistics.
The statistics in figure 6 below are a combination of both the adult and child services. The breakdown of each is available in the Table 6 of the summary tables which support this publication.The number of flu vaccinations provided by contractors between 2016/17 and 2025/26
Chart
Figure 6: The number of flu vaccinations provided by contractors increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
Table
Table 6: The number of flu vaccinations provided by contractors increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
| Financial year | Number of Flu vaccines |
|---|---|
| 2016/2017 | 950,759 |
| 2017/2018 | 1,344,462 |
| 2018/2019 | 1,433,293 |
| 2019/2020 | 1,721,705 |
| 2020/2021 | 2,770,328 |
| 2021/2022 | 4,850,722 |
| 2022/2023 | 5,007,876 |
| 2023/2024 | 3,773,389 |
| 2024/2025 | 4,066,060 |
| 2025/2026 | 4,613,054 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Table 6
In England in 2025/26:
There were 4.61 million flu vaccines administered by community pharmacies.
There were 9,212 community pharmacies administering adult flu vaccines.
There were 3,206 community pharmacies administering child flu vaccines.
Between 2016/17 and 2021/22 the number of flu vaccines administered by community pharmacies increased from 951,000 to 4.85 million, a 410% increase. The groups eligible for an NHS flu vaccine expanded over this period. In 2020/21 the seasonal influenza vaccination advanced service was significantly expanded because of concerns about simultaneous circulation of influenza and COVID-19.
The cost and fees for flu vaccinations provided by contractors between 2016/17 and 2025/26
Chart
Figure 7: The cost and fees for flu vaccinations increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
Table
Table 7: The cost and fees for flu vaccinations increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
| Financial year | Cost of vaccines (GBP) | Value of Fees received (GBP) |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/2017 | 5,880,750 | 8,689,937 |
| 2017/2018 | 9,701,966 | 12,288,383 |
| 2018/2019 | 13,085,772 | 13,587,618 |
| 2019/2020 | 16,080,439 | 16,493,934 |
| 2020/2021 | 26,725,076 | 27,924,906 |
| 2021/2022 | 49,826,608 | 46,469,917 |
| 2022/2023 | 61,777,241 | 47,975,452 |
| 2023/2024 | 48,501,356 | 36,149,067 |
| 2024/2025 | 55,157,602 | 38,952,855 |
| 2025/2026 | 79,285,120 | 45,269,945 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Table 6
In England in 2025/26:
The cost of flu vaccines was £79.3 million.
The value of flu vaccine fees was £45.3 million.
In line with the increase in the number of flu vaccines administered each year, the costs reimbursed and fees paid to community pharmacies as part of the advanced service have increased over time. The current cost of vaccines administered in 2025/26 was over 13 times that of 2016/17, increasing from £5.88 million.
The value of fees paid to pharmacies for delivering the flu vaccination service was over 5 times higher in 2025/26 than 2016/17, increasing from £8.69 million.
New Medicine Service
The NMS is an advanced service within the NHS CPCF. The service provides support for people with long-term conditions when they are newly prescribed a medicine, with the goal of improving medicines adherence. It is focused on particular patient groups and conditions. Details of the currently covered patient groups can be found in the NHS England Service Specification.
The total NMSs undertaken by community pharmacies between 2016/17 and 2025/26
Chart
Figure 8: The total NMSs undertaken by community pharmacies increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
Table
Table 8: The total NMSs undertaken by community pharmacies increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
| Financial year | Total NMSs undertaken - community pharmacies |
|---|---|
| 2016/2017 | 872,486 |
| 2017/2018 | 927,320 |
| 2018/2019 | 929,958 |
| 2019/2020 | 976,800 |
| 2020/2021 | 932,880 |
| 2021/2022 | 2,096,475 |
| 2022/2023 | 2,841,640 |
| 2023/2024 | 4,038,300 |
| 2024/2025 | 5,640,355 |
| 2025/2026 | 11,991,109 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Table 6
In England in 2025/26:
There were 12 million NMSs claimed.
The number of NMSs claimed has increased by 113% from 2024/25.
From April 2025 the NMS was split between intervention consultations and follow-up consultations. Each consultation type attracts a fee of £14. Prior to this, intervention and follow-up were recorded as 1 consultation that attracted a single fee of between £20 and £28 depending on the volume of prescriptions dispensed by a contractor and the number of NMSs undertaken. This has caused the number of consultations counted to increase dramatically between 2024/25 and 2025/26.
The total cost of NMSs undertaken by community pharmacies between 2016/17 and 2025/26
Chart
Figure 9: The total cost of NMSs undertaken by community pharmacies increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
Table
Table 9: The total cost of NMSs undertaken by community pharmacies increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
| Financial year | Total Cost of NMSs undertaken - community pharmacies (GBP) |
|---|---|
| 2016/2017 | 21,558,338 |
| 2017/2018 | 22,986,687 |
| 2018/2019 | 23,128,107 |
| 2019/2020 | 24,392,755 |
| 2020/2021 | 23,437,483 |
| 2021/2022 | 53,878,025 |
| 2022/2023 | 76,278,691 |
| 2023/2024 | 109,302,055 |
| 2024/2025 | 153,865,897 |
| 2025/2026 | 163,957,920 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Table 6
Although the number of NMSs claimed more than doubled between 2024/25 and 2025/26, the costs only increased by 6.56% to £164 million. This was due to the split between intervention consultations and follow-up consultations. These are now counted individually but only attract a reduced fee of £14 per consultation.
Appliance Use Review
Appliance Use Review (AUR) is an advanced service in the NHS CPCF. AURs can be carried out by a pharmacist or a specialist nurse in the pharmacy or at the patient’s home.
AURs should improve the patient’s knowledge and use of any ’specified appliance‘ by:
- establishing the way the patient uses the appliance and the patient’s experience of such use
- identifying, discussing and assisting in the resolution of poor or ineffective use of the appliance by the patient
- advising the patient on the safe and appropriate storage of the appliance
- advising the patient on the safe and proper disposal of the appliances that are used or unwanted
A fee of £28 is payable for an AUR conducted on the premises of a contractor, or by telephone or video link where clinically appropriate, managed by the pharmacy or appliance contractor. The telephone or video link option was introduced as of 1 September 2020. A fee of £54 is payable for a review conducted at the patient’s home. When carrying out AURs for multiple patients living at the same property in the same 24 hours, only the first AUR is paid at the home rate. Subsequent AURs are paid at the lower premises rate.
The total number of AURs that an appliance or pharmacy contractor may claim fees for is limited to one for every 35 Part IXA (qualifying items), Part IXB, and Part IXC prescription items dispensed in the financial year of the claim.The total Appliance Use Reviews (AUR) provided between 2016/17 and 2025/26
Chart
Figure 10: The total Appliance Use Reviews (AUR) decreased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
Table
Table 10: The total Appliance Use Reviews (AUR) decreased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
| Financial year | Total Home Appliance Use Reviews (AUR) | Total Premises Appliance Use Reviews (AUR) | Total All Appliance Use Reviews (AUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016/2017 | 33,617 | 9,836 | 43,453 |
| 2017/2018 | 36,808 | 13,641 | 50,449 |
| 2018/2019 | 43,286 | 14,302 | 57,588 |
| 2019/2020 | 50,581 | 16,643 | 67,224 |
| 2020/2021 | 31,974 | 12,902 | 44,876 |
| 2021/2022 | 39,153 | 22,143 | 61,296 |
| 2022/2023 | 46,848 | 27,856 | 74,704 |
| 2023/2024 | 68,000 | 32,964 | 100,964 |
| 2024/2025 | 61,501 | 49,213 | 110,714 |
| 2025/2026 | 59,326 | 50,063 | 109,389 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Tables 7 and 11
In England in 2025/26:
There were 109,000 AURs provided.
The number of AURs decreased by 1.2% compared to 2024/25.
The total cost of Appliance Use Reviews (AUR) provided between 2016/17 and 2025/26
Chart
Figure 11: The total cost of Appliance Use Reviews (AUR) decreased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
Table
Table 11: The total cost of Appliance Use Reviews (AUR) decreased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
| Financial year | Total Cost of Home Appliance Use Reviews (AUR) (GBP) | Total Cost of Premises Appliance Use Reviews (AUR) (GBP) | Total Cost of All Appliance Use Reviews (AUR) (GBP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016/2017 | 1,815,318 | 275,408 | 2,090,726 |
| 2017/2018 | 1,987,632 | 383,656 | 2,371,288 |
| 2018/2019 | 2,337,444 | 400,456 | 2,737,900 |
| 2019/2020 | 2,731,374 | 466,564 | 3,197,938 |
| 2020/2021 | 1,726,596 | 361,648 | 2,088,244 |
| 2021/2022 | 2,114,262 | 620,004 | 2,734,266 |
| 2022/2023 | 2,529,792 | 779,968 | 3,309,760 |
| 2023/2024 | 3,672,000 | 922,992 | 4,594,992 |
| 2024/2025 | 3,321,054 | 1,377,964 | 4,699,018 |
| 2025/2026 | 3,203,604 | 1,401,764 | 4,605,368 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Tables 7 and 11
In England in 2025/26:
The cost of AURs provided was £4.61 million.
The cost of AURs provided decreased by 1.99% compared to 2024/25.
Stoma Appliance Customisation
Stoma Appliance Customisation (SAC) is an advanced service in the NHS CPCF. The service involves the customisation of stoma appliances, based on the patient’s measurements or a template. The aim of the service is to ensure proper use and comfortable fitting of the stoma appliance and to improve the duration of usage, thereby reducing waste. The stoma appliances that can be customised are listed in Part IXC of the Drug Tariff.
A fee of £4.32 is payable for every Part IXC prescription item that can be customised as denoted in the Drug Tariff. Pharmacy and appliance contractors do not have to claim the fee. The fee will automatically be paid to pharmacy and appliance contractors in England who have registered their intent to provide SAC services to the NHSBSA.The total SAC provided between 2016/17 and 2025/26
Chart
Figure 12: The total SAC increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
Table
Table 12: The total SAC increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
| Financial year | Contractor type | Total SAC |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/2017 | Community pharmacies | 27,517 |
| 2017/2018 | Community pharmacies | 24,891 |
| 2018/2019 | Community pharmacies | 20,299 |
| 2019/2020 | Community pharmacies | 16,706 |
| 2020/2021 | Community pharmacies | 11,574 |
| 2021/2022 | Community pharmacies | 8,331 |
| 2022/2023 | Community pharmacies | 5,902 |
| 2023/2024 | Community pharmacies | 2,968 |
| 2024/2025 | Community pharmacies | 1,714 |
| 2025/2026 | Community pharmacies | 1,464 |
| 2016/2017 | Appliance contractors | 1,292,476 |
| 2017/2018 | Appliance contractors | 1,337,457 |
| 2018/2019 | Appliance contractors | 1,406,517 |
| 2019/2020 | Appliance contractors | 1,492,071 |
| 2020/2021 | Appliance contractors | 1,523,602 |
| 2021/2022 | Appliance contractors | 1,603,255 |
| 2022/2023 | Appliance contractors | 1,684,045 |
| 2023/2024 | Appliance contractors | 1,772,439 |
| 2024/2025 | Appliance contractors | 1,883,183 |
| 2025/2026 | Appliance contractors | 1,946,949 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Tables 7 and 11
In England in 2025/26:
There were 1.95 million SACs provided by appliance contractors.
There were 1,460 SACs provided by community pharmacies.
The total number of all SACs has increased by 3.37% from 2024/25.
The total cost of SACs provided between 2016/17 and 2025/26
Chart
Figure 13: The total cost of SAC increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
Table
Table 13: The total cost of SAC increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
| Financial year | Contractor type | Total Cost of SAC |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/2017 | Community pharmacies | 118,873.44 |
| 2017/2018 | Community pharmacies | 107,529.12 |
| 2018/2019 | Community pharmacies | 87,691.68 |
| 2019/2020 | Community pharmacies | 72,169.92 |
| 2020/2021 | Community pharmacies | 49,999.68 |
| 2021/2022 | Community pharmacies | 35,989.92 |
| 2022/2023 | Community pharmacies | 25,496.64 |
| 2023/2024 | Community pharmacies | 12,821.76 |
| 2024/2025 | Community pharmacies | 7,404.48 |
| 2025/2026 | Community pharmacies | 6,324.48 |
| 2016/2017 | Appliance contractors | 5,583,496.32 |
| 2017/2018 | Appliance contractors | 5,777,814.24 |
| 2018/2019 | Appliance contractors | 6,076,153.44 |
| 2019/2020 | Appliance contractors | 6,445,746.72 |
| 2020/2021 | Appliance contractors | 6,581,960.64 |
| 2021/2022 | Appliance contractors | 6,926,061.60 |
| 2022/2023 | Appliance contractors | 7,275,074.40 |
| 2023/2024 | Appliance contractors | 7,656,936.48 |
| 2024/2025 | Appliance contractors | 8,135,350.56 |
| 2025/2026 | Appliance contractors | 8,410,819.68 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Tables 7 and 11
In England in 2025/26:
The cost of SACs provided by appliance contractors was £8.41 million.
The cost of SACs provided by community pharmacies was £6,320.
The cost of all SACs has increased by 3.37% from 2024/25.
As the SAC is a set payment that has not changed since its introduction, the percentage increase for volume and cost is the same.
Pharmacy First Service
The Pharmacy First Service (PFS) advanced service was introduced from 31 January 2024. It replaced the Community Pharmacy Consultation Services (CPCS).
The full service will consist of three elements:
Pharmacy First (clinical pathways), a new element
Pharmacy First (urgent repeat medicine supply), previously commissioned as the CPCS
Pharmacy First (NHS referrals for minor illness), previously commissioned as the CPCS
The Pharmacy First (clinical pathways) allows pharmacists to provide advice and NHS-funded treatment for seven common conditions:
- Acute otitis media
- Impetigo
- Infected insect bites
- Shingles
- Sinusitis
- Sore throat
- Uncomplicated urinary tract infections
The service is intended to improve access to services and provide treatment closer to patients’ homes by harnessing the skills and medicines knowledge of pharmacists, and relieve pressure on GP appointments and emergency departments.
The fee for providing the PFS is £15 (including VAT) per Urgent Medicines Supply consultation and £17 for each Clinical Pathway Consultation or Minor Illness Referral Consultation.
In addition to the consultation fee, a monthly fixed payment of £1,000 will be paid to pharmacies who meet a minimum activity threshold of clinical pathways consultations.
No data prior to January 2024 is available for PFS.The total cost of PFS fees from introduction to 2025/26
Chart
Figure 14: The total cost of PFS increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
Table
Table 14: The total cost of PFS increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
| Year month | Cost of Pharmacy First Service (PFS) Minor Illness and Urgent Medicines Supply fees | Cost of Pharmacy First Service (PFS) clinical pathways consultation fees and fixed monthly payments |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-02-01 | NA | 10,980,680 |
| 2024-03-01 | 3,410,820 | 10,427,355 |
| 2024-04-01 | 3,255,540 | 11,299,520 |
| 2024-05-01 | 3,576,135 | 10,047,550 |
| 2024-06-01 | 3,241,350 | 9,784,480 |
| 2024-07-01 | 3,491,565 | 10,488,050 |
| 2024-08-01 | 3,330,360 | 8,749,250 |
| 2024-09-01 | 3,092,070 | 7,004,365 |
| 2024-10-01 | 3,432,030 | 7,886,140 |
| 2024-11-01 | 3,544,335 | 8,505,870 |
| 2024-12-01 | 3,928,230 | 10,130,860 |
| 2025-01-01 | 3,485,085 | 8,537,555 |
| 2025-02-01 | 3,356,295 | 8,798,495 |
| 2025-03-01 | 3,653,355 | 8,528,075 |
| 2025-04-01 | 4,212,632 | 8,093,408 |
| 2025-05-01 | 4,158,482 | 8,086,274 |
| 2025-06-01 | 3,636,301 | 9,158,093 |
| 2025-07-01 | 3,700,657 | 10,993,867 |
| 2025-08-01 | 3,690,643 | 9,287,929 |
| 2025-09-01 | 3,508,097 | 9,275,704 |
| 2025-10-01 | 3,932,290 | 10,175,872 |
| 2025-11-01 | 3,926,685 | 10,414,677 |
| 2025-12-01 | 4,446,394 | 12,624,167 |
| 2026-01-01 | 4,007,373 | 11,339,923 |
| 2026-02-01 | 3,723,445 | 11,550,507 |
| 2026-03-01 | 4,156,754 | 12,363,847 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Table 6
In England in 2025/26:
The cost of PFS clinical pathways consultation fees and fixed monthly payments was £123 million.
The cost of Minor Illness and Urgent Medicines Supply consultations provided was £47.1 million.
The total cost of PFS fees in 2025/26 was £170 million, this was an increase of 13% from the £151 million in 2024/25.
The total number of items for PFS clinical pathways from introduction to 2025/26
Chart
Figure 15: The total number of items for PFS clinical pathways increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
Table
Table 15: The total number of items for PFS clinical pathways increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
| Year month | Total number of items provided during Pharmacy First Service (PFS) clinical pathways |
|---|---|
| 2024-02-01 | 94,435 |
| 2024-03-01 | 113,406 |
| 2024-04-01 | 121,517 |
| 2024-05-01 | 135,256 |
| 2024-06-01 | 132,487 |
| 2024-07-01 | 149,579 |
| 2024-08-01 | 144,190 |
| 2024-09-01 | 134,462 |
| 2024-10-01 | 152,681 |
| 2024-11-01 | 161,680 |
| 2024-12-01 | 200,162 |
| 2025-01-01 | 178,418 |
| 2025-02-01 | 183,255 |
| 2025-03-01 | 196,479 |
| 2025-04-01 | 180,128 |
| 2025-05-01 | 180,574 |
| 2025-06-01 | 191,798 |
| 2025-07-01 | 229,355 |
| 2025-08-01 | 193,137 |
| 2025-09-01 | 184,378 |
| 2025-10-01 | 199,990 |
| 2025-11-01 | 200,779 |
| 2025-12-01 | 254,481 |
| 2026-01-01 | 218,102 |
| 2026-02-01 | 220,127 |
| 2026-03-01 | 240,559 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Table 6
In England in 2025/26:
There were 2.49 million items issued during PFS clinical pathway consultations.
The number of items issued during PFS clinical pathway consultations increased by 32% from 2024/25.
The total cost of drugs provided under PFS from introduction to 2025/26
Chart
Figure 16: The total cost of drugs provided under PFS increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
Table
Table 16: The total cost of drugs provided under PFS) increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
| Year month | Total Cost of Drugs provided during Pharmacy First Service (PFS) Minor Illness and Urgent Medicines Supply | Total Cost of Drugs provided during Pharmacy First Service (PFS) Clinical Pathways |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-02-01 | NA | 441,654.2 |
| 2024-03-01 | 649,933.0 | 521,478.0 |
| 2024-04-01 | 627,458.4 | 512,568.3 |
| 2024-05-01 | 781,510.6 | 569,036.7 |
| 2024-06-01 | 729,161.7 | 540,908.5 |
| 2024-07-01 | 909,253.5 | 578,607.4 |
| 2024-08-01 | 998,589.0 | 522,750.0 |
| 2024-09-01 | 882,015.1 | 511,732.7 |
| 2024-10-01 | 868,985.1 | 584,020.9 |
| 2024-11-01 | 806,661.8 | 629,891.2 |
| 2024-12-01 | 956,456.3 | 779,517.3 |
| 2025-01-01 | 807,064.6 | 650,778.9 |
| 2025-02-01 | 770,432.4 | 669,818.1 |
| 2025-03-01 | 880,472.4 | 716,106.0 |
| 2025-04-01 | 1,113,577.6 | 629,728.3 |
| 2025-05-01 | 1,190,608.3 | 620,119.1 |
| 2025-06-01 | 990,832.4 | 633,593.8 |
| 2025-07-01 | 1,060,658.2 | 687,143.5 |
| 2025-08-01 | 1,225,636.9 | 616,410.4 |
| 2025-09-01 | 1,042,486.0 | 615,829.4 |
| 2025-10-01 | 1,044,686.4 | 669,986.9 |
| 2025-11-01 | 1,037,402.9 | 680,903.2 |
| 2025-12-01 | 1,171,404.6 | 878,417.3 |
| 2026-01-01 | 1,047,894.6 | 707,411.7 |
| 2026-02-01 | 982,039.9 | 706,201.1 |
| 2026-03-01 | 1,084,484.3 | 758,335.6 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Table 6
In England in 2025/26:
The cost of drugs provided for PFS Clinical Pathways was £8.2 million.
The cost of drugs provided for Minor Illness and Urgent Medicines Supply consultations was £13 million.
The total cost of drugs provided for PFS in 2025/26 was £21.2 million, this was an increase of 23% from the £17.3 million in 2024/25.
Smoking Cessation Services
The Smoking Cessation service (SCS) is an advanced service introduced in March 2022. Patients are discharged with their consent to the community pharmacy of their choice to continue smoking cessation treatment they began under an NHS Trust.
The SCS is limited to 12 weeks of treatment including any undertaken at the NHS Trust.
The fees paid for providing the SCS are £30 for the first consultation, £10 for each interim consultation and £40 for the final consultation.
Consultations will usually be every two weeks in line with the supply of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), which can be for a maximum of a 2-week period.
No data prior to March 2022 is available for SCS.
Further information including which NRT products can be supplied as part of the service can be found on the NHSBSA website.The total cost of consultations and drugs provided during Smoking Cessation Services 2022/23 to 2025/26
Chart
Figure 17: The total cost of consultations and drugs provided during Smoking Cessation Services (SCS) increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
Table
Table 17: The total cost of consultations and drugs provided during Smoking Cessation Services (SCS) increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
| Financial year | Cost of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) products provided during SCS consultations (GBP) | Cost of Smoking Cessation Service (SCS) consultation fees (GBP) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/2023 | 25,225.98 | 18,110 |
| 2023/2024 | 180,151.60 | 127,260 |
| 2024/2025 | 368,763.85 | 241,170 |
| 2025/2026 | 384,349.97 | 193,190 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Table 6
In England in 2025/26:
The cost of consultations for SCS provided was £193,000.
The cost of NRT products provided for SCS was £384,000.
Pharmacy Contraceptive Service
The Pharmacy Contraceptive Service (PCS) is an advanced service that commenced in April 2023, allowing the ongoing supply of oral contraception (OC) from community pharmacies.
From December 2023, the service included both initiation and ongoing supply of OC. A fee of £25 will be paid per consultation for the ongoing supply or initiation of OC.
From 29 October 2025, a fee of £20 will be paid per consultation for oral emergency contraception.
No data prior to April 2023 is available for PCS.The total cost of consultations and drugs provided during PCS 2025/26
Chart
Figure 18: The total cost of consultations and drugs provided during PCS increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
Table
Table 18: The total cost of consultations and drugs provided during PCS increased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
| Financial year | Cost of oral contraception (OC) products provided during PCS consultations (GBP) | Cost of Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS) consultation fees (GBP) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023/2024 | 374,029.9 | 1,250,118.00 |
| 2024/2025 | 2,747,408.0 | 7,428,924.00 |
| 2025/2026 | 10,641,623.2 | 30,758,365.00 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Table 6
In England in 2025/26:
The cost of consultations for PCS provided was £30.8 million.
The cost of OC products provided for PCS was £10.6 million.
The Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS) consultation fees in Figure 18 are a combination of the fees for initiation, ongoing supply, and emergency supply of OC. The breakdown of each is available in the Table 6 of the summary tables which support this publication.
2.3 Enhanced Services for contractors
Data is not available for most local enhanced services, because the NHSBSA holds data of amounts paid but not which locally commissioned service these payments were assigned to. An exception is the COVID-19 vaccination enhanced service which began as a local enhanced service.
COVID-19 vaccination enhanced service
Towards the end of 2020/21, community pharmacies began providing COVID-19 vaccinations as a local enhanced service to deliver Phase 1 and Phase 2 cohorts of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). A further enhanced service was commissioned to deliver Phase 3, which was provided alongside the seasonal influenza vaccination programme which runs each autumn.
The figures in these statistics for COVID-19 vaccinations only relate to those administered by community pharmacies. A dashboard including COVID-19 vaccination data is available from the UKHSA on their website.The total costs for COVID-19 vaccinations fees provided by contractors in 2020/21 to 2025/26
Chart
Figure 19: The total costs for COVID-19 vaccinations fees provided by contractors decreased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
Table
Table 19: The total costs for COVID-19 vaccinations fees provided by contractors decreased between 2024/25 and 2025/26
| Financial year | Cost of vaccine fees |
|---|---|
| 2020/2021 | 28,925,651 |
| 2021/2022 | 293,165,261 |
| 2022/2023 | 106,182,892 |
| 2023/2024 | 74,811,743 |
| 2024/2025 | 54,081,555 |
| 2025/2026 | 20,479,010 |
Source: Summary tables - General Pharmaceutical Services - Table 9
In England in 2025/26:
The costs of COVID-19 vaccinations fees were £20.5 million.
The costs of COVID-19 vaccinations fees have decreased by 62% from 2024/25.
The COVID-19 vaccinations made available under this enhanced service are provided to the pharmacy contractor free of charge. Therefore no data on the cost of the vaccine is held by the NHSBSA.
3. About these statistics
3.1. Changes made to this publication
From October 2025 a separate Childhood Influenza Vaccination Pilot also operates alongside the adult service. The breakdown of each is available in the Table 6 of the summary tables which support this publication.
3.2. Accuracy of these statistics
Further information on the accuracy of the data used in this publication is available in the Background Information and Methodology supporting document. Details regarding the impact of post payment verification (PPV) and other checks carried out by NHS Prescription Services (a division of NHSBSA) on the statistics are available in the Impacts of errors identified on the accuracy of the General Pharmaceutical Services supporting document that accompanied the 2020/21 publication.
3.3. Uses of these statistics
These statistics can be used to understand the activity of community pharmacies and appliance contractors in England, including essential and advanced services provided to NHS patients. They cannot be used to provide the total number or cost of prescription items dispensed in England in the community as they do not contain dispensing from all sources. This can be obtained from another NHSBSA official accredited statistics publication, Prescription Cost Analysis.
3.4. Geographies included in this publication
The geographies used in this publication are based upon NHSBSA administrative records, not geographical health boundaries as defined by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). These administrative records more closely reflect the operational organisation of dispensing contractors than other geographical data sources such as the National Statistics Postcode Lookup (NSPL).
3.5 Active pharmacies
An active community pharmacy or appliance contractor is one that has submitted prescriptions to the NHSBSA for processing in the specified time period. If a pharmacy has opened, submitted a prescription to the NHSBSA and then closed again in the same year, it would still be classed as an active pharmacy.
When a pharmacy contract changes providers it can remain in the same premises but may be given a new organisation code. This measure uses the pharmacy organisation code to determine active pharmacies.
Monthly data relating to dispensing contractors can be accessed via the NHSBSA Open Data Portal.
3.6 Planned changes to this publication
NHSBSA plans to expand the scope of this publication in future releases to report on all fees that a contractor can claim for providing NHS services, in order to provide a more complete picture of the total cost of community pharmacy to the public purse.
Next year’s release will include any additional services that are introduced and refinement of reporting on existing services where required.
4. Rounding
The high-level figures in this statistical summary have been rounded where appropriate for clarity, in most cases to three significant figures. This is to make this narrative as accessible as possible to all readers. The summary tables released with this publication allow users to investigate this data at lower levels of granularity.
5. Accessibility
How to request content in an accessible format
If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, you can contact us by:
Email: accessibility@nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Phone: 0191 203 5318
We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 5 working days.
These contact details are only for accessibility queries. This inbox is not for technical queries or IT problems. If you have a query that is not about accessibility, go to the ‘Contact us’ section of this page.
View our Accessibility statement for Official Statistics Narratives.
6. Feedback and contact us
Feedback is important to us; we welcome any questions and comments relating to these statistics.
You can complete a short survey about this publication to help us improve the Official Statistics that we produce. All responses will remain anonymous, and individuals will not be identifiable in any report that we produce.
You can view our privacy policy on our website to see how your data is used and stored.
You can contact us by:
Email: statistics@nhsbsa.nhs.uk
You can also write to us at:
NHSBSA - Statistics
NHS Business Services Authority
Stella
House
Goldcrest Way
Newburn Riverside
Newcastle upon
Tyne
NE15 8NY
Responsible statistician: Graham Platten