The negotiator revealed in May that it had rejected Holyrood’s initial funding offer for a 2023/24 financial package on behalf of its more than 1,200 community pharmacies.
It told C+D at the time that the offer “fell so far short of what is needed” to keep Scottish community pharmacies viable that the board “had no choice but to reject it in full”.
Read more: ‘Far short of what is needed’: CPS rejects government's 2023/24 funding offer
But it yesterday (July 20) announced that it had accepted a new financial offer from the Scottish government.
Details of the deal are not yet public, with a government circular to provide the full breakdown of the global sum distribution and finalised figures, CPS told C+D today.
“Some solid ground”
Announcing the news late yesterday, CPS said that the offer was “adequate” and gives pharmacies “some solid ground” after “a punishing and relentless” year.
“CPS recognises the complex issues and the financial challenges on all sides of the negotiation table and broadly welcomes the offer as adequate to support the aim of stability and predictability for the community pharmacy network,” it said.
However, it warned that the settlement “will not support the pace of service development” offered in Scotland’s community pharmacies in recent years, such as the Pharmacy First scheme.
Further work on “financial detail”
CPS said that the deal was the result of “protracted but constructive negotiations” with the Scottish government to take the sector “to a place of adequate financial stability”.
It added that it will “continue to work on the financial detail” of the offer over the next two years to ensure “a secure financial model” for Scotland’s community pharmacies.
Read more: Scottish government provides £20m pharmacy ‘interim cash injection’
“We look forward to engaging with our Scottish government colleagues on a revised plan for how our pharmacies deliver more and support the wider NHS in future years,” it said.
C+D has contacted Scotland’s department of health for comment.
Read more: 'Our funding is rotten': Sector needs £1.1bn now, warns AIMp chief
Just days after CPS rejected Holyrood’s initial funding offer, it announced that the Scottish government had provided the country’s community pharmacies with a £20 million “interim” cash injection.
This aimed to “ease pressures” on the sector, particularly those related to medicine price inflation.
CPS negotiates with Holyrood on behalf of Scotland’s 1,256 community pharmacies.
