Community pharmacies have seen their remuneration per prescription fall by 22.8 per cent in absolute terms in 10 years.
Figures given in the Department of Health's report on its expenditure plans for 2000-01 show that in 1988-89 pharmacy remuneration amounted to £1.93 per prescription item dispensed. By 1998-99, the figure had fallen to £1.49 per item.
The report also shows that the Department intends to spend £852m on pharmaceutical services through family health services in the next financial year. The Department expects to have spent £824m on this by the end of the current year. The global sum for pharmacy remuneration in 1999-2000 is £755.1m, plus a further £10.1m for directed services.
Mr Godfrey Horridge (financial executive, PSNC) told The Journal on April 18 that he had asked the Department about the difference between the global sum and the amount spent in previous years. The Department had said that the figure included more things than remuneration for community pharmacists. He added that it was not possible to predict remuneration from the spending plans. The PSNC had tried, unsuccessfully, to negotiate increases from the percentage increase given in the spending plan in previous years.