Blog / NHS Contract and Income
NHS Contract and Income
UK Pharmacy Closures: Independents vs Multiples, By the Numbers
UK pharmacy numbers fell from 11,206 (Jan 2021) to 10,391 (May 2026), net -815, while independents grew to 5,075 and multiples fell to 3,153.
Pharmacy Dispensing Workload and Regional Density: Fewer Pharmacies, More Items Each
Items dispensed per pharmacy rose 36.1% since 2019 as pharmacy numbers fell 11.7%. Regional density ranges from 14.99 to 20.9 per 100k. NHSBSA data.
How Do Pharmacies Make Money? NHS Contract, Fees and Retail Explained
Community pharmacies earn mainly from the NHS contract: drug reimbursement, remuneration fees and growing service income. Retail is a smaller layer.
Category M and Clawbacks Explained: Why Your Pharmacy Margin Moves on Its Own
Category M sets reimbursement prices centrally and adjusts them retrospectively. Why your pharmacy gross margin moves without anything at the counter.
The Drug Tariff Explained: How Reimbursement Works, and How to Track Monthly Changes
Plain-English guide to the NHS Drug Tariff: what it is, how reimbursement and remuneration work, the main categories and how to track monthly changes.
How the FP34 Payment Cycle Works: Submission, the NHSBSA Lag, and Cash-Flow Planning
FP34 prescriptions are submitted monthly; payment lands roughly two months later. How the NHSBSA lag and advance on account affect working capital.
Pharmacy First Income: The Separate Revenue Line Your Accounts Should Be Tracking
Pharmacy First income is a separate, growing revenue line. How it books differently from dispensing reimbursement and why it matters for your accounts.