Prescription Multiplier

[susanxx]

not really sure of the section to put this in so am trying here. What is the current rate payable from the pricing prescription authority for each item dispensed on prescription were the current levy is £8-05? Thank you

[susanxx]

Two days and no answer, whats going on? Surely someone out there knows the answer or is it a government secret to drain NHS resources?

[Cloverjo]

Perhaps people don't quite understand what you're asking.

[sherrardk]

You could have googled it - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nhs-charges-from-april-2014

[twix123]

Are you talking about a Prescription Prepayment Certificate?

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcosts/Pages/PPC.aspx

[wolf63]

Are you asking how much the NHS pays the pharmacy ?

[susanxx]

OK, prescription is taken to pharmacy, if a fee is paid £8.05 is handed over or proof of pre payment cetificate is shown. The pharmacist then dispenses, has it checked by another assistant and gives to patient sometimes asking questions of other medication have you had it before etc. At the end of each month all the scripts are sent to the prescription pricing authority for checking and then the pharmacy receives payment for dispensing every item whether they have been paid for or not. This payment is not the same multiplier of £8.05 but another figure that may be in the region of almost double the fee. This is the figure I am looking for. So simply put if 200 items are dispensed, only 100 are fee paid, this equates to £80.50 but the pharmacy payment (for arguments sake lets call it £13) will be £260. This is why all pharmacies fall over themselves for this business and why they can all afford vans for pick up and delivery as this is very profitable for them even giving discount incentives to nursing homes just to make sure they get their business. If, as one once could, buy 100 paracetamol over the counter, it would cost me £1, but I can't unless I troll around 3 shops and buy 2 packets of 16 meaning I have 96 which have cost me 96p. But on prescription they will cost me £8.05 but the pharmacy will have purchased them cheaper than that and then they get paid £13(in our imaginary scenario). of course I understand that some medications cost more and some don't pay but the non payers do not mean the pharmacy misses out, they get the multiplier regardless. Its this multiplier I am after. Does this clear it up?

[boxtops]

This is the sort of question you should put in as a Freedom of Information request to Health England. I've understood what you ask - it's a complex matter, there may be different amounts payable by the PPA for different drugs and activities.

You could always ask the Lead Prescribing Adviser in your Local Clinical Commissioning Group, see if they'll tell you.

[factor-fiction]

I found it difficult to follow- I was okay for the first 6 or 7 lines but then lost the thread. It is far cheaper to get paracetamol from any supermarket or high street than any via prescription so i was puzzled by the 'having to trawl around' bit.
If the question is about how charges are set between chemists and the PPA then it's perhaps too specialist a question for Chatterbank. We do have some people here though with experience sin the health system and pharmacies so hopefully someone can help

[boxtops]

It doesn't sound like you've tried googling, loads of info on-line like this one

http://blog.patientgroupdirection.com/2012/07/how-do-uk-pharmacies-get-paid.html

and you can get a copy of the Drug Tariff on-line too, if you search.

[wolf63]

I always presumed that the pharmacy purchased the drugs in the first place and that was the amount that was refunded by the PPA to the pharmacy.