Uplift to advanced payments for April and May 2025
In discussions with DHSC, Community Pharmacy England has agreed a mechanism to allow pharmacy owners to receive the 19p Single Activity Fee (SAF) increase sooner for dispensing months of April 2025 and May 2025. The advanced payments for these dispensing months will be adjusted to incorporate the uplift to the SAF. No adjustment to advance payments will be required from June 2025 dispensing month onwards.
Under normal procedures, advance payments are calculated by the NHSBSA using the latest available Average Item Value (AIV) figure for each individual pharmacy, as well as declared items and value of prescription charges declared.
As the historic AIV figures would not have incorporated the 19p SAF increase, pharmacy owners would have received the benefit of the 19p SAF increase upon receipt of the balancing payments for dispensing months April 2025 and May 2025 (around 60 days from the conclusion of the month, under the current payment timetable).
Under the adjusted mechanism, pharmacy owners will receive the benefit of the 19p SAF uplift when they receive their advance payment for April and May 2025. Timing for this will differ depending on whether pharmacies receive their advance payments under the early advance timetable or normal advance timetable.
Early Advance (received for MYS FP34C submissions made by the 5th of the month)
Pharmacies that receive their Early Advance payment around 10-12 days after the conclusion of the month will have the 19p SAF uplift included in the advance payment (‘Payment on account for’ field, itemized on the Schedule of Payments for March and April 2025). This will not show as an additional payment.
Normal Advance (received for MYS FP34C submissions made after the 5th of the month)
Pharmacies that receive the Normal Advance payment around 30 days after the conclusion of the month will have the 19p SAF uplift included as an ‘Additional advance payment’ itemized on their Schedule of Payments for March and April 2025.
Background information
An increase to the SAF of 19p per item from April 2025 was agreed as part of the CPCF arrangements for 2024/25 and 2025/26 announced at the end of March.
