Understand eSchedule payment calculations

This quick guide gives you an explanation of the calculations and adjustment types used in your eSchedule.

Average gross value

Here is how the average gross value is calculated:

• [(group 1 sub total + group 2 sub total (oxygen) supplementary and service payments] / total number of prescription items (excluding stock orders)

Advance payment

An advance payment provides relief for community pharmacy contractors during the two months when they experience the most cash flow pressure.

The details of the changes made effective from dispensings 1 December 2014 are as follows.

The rate of advance payment in respect of:

• December (paid January) dispensing months is raised from 90 to 100%
• January (paid February) dispensing months is raised from 90 to 95%
• all other dispensing months (February to November inclusive) remains unchanged at 90%

You can read the Scottish Government circular PCA(P)(2014)24 for more guidance on the advance payment.

Quality and Service Development payment

The Quality and Service Development payment replaces the ‘Operations and Development’ payment as these payments are for implementing:

• Gluten Free Food Service (GFFS)
• Quality Improvement
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)

Read the Scottish Government circular PCA(P)(2019)13 for more information on the pool payment available and determination of the fixed element payment.

Medicines: Care & Review (MCR) capitation payment

The MCR capitation payment was previously the Chronic Medication Service (CMS) capitation payment.

The calculation is based on: assessed registrations / national assessed registrations x adjusted pool amount

But this is constrained to not be outside the range of the minimum/maximum payment for the pharmacy. The minimum/maximum payment is derived from -/+ 10% of the target payment for the community pharmacy.

The national assessed registrations and the adjusted pool amount can be seen in the MCR report within your payment schedule.

The target MCR capitation payment has been communicated to all community pharmacies.

Service Efficiency (SE) payment and final payment percentage calculation

The SE payment, which was previously the Quality & Efficiency (Q&E) payment, is shown in the supplementary and services payment report.

This payment is calculated by multiplying the SE (Q&E) payment percentage shown in the previous month’s SE (Q&E) report by the SE (Q&E) target value.

You can visit the Scottish Government circular PCA(P)(2023)26 for additional guidance on the SE (Q&E) target value.

From 1 September 2018, the Q&E payment for less than 80% of the qualifying target reached is zero Q&E payment, unless exceptional circumstances apply.

See the Scottish Government circular PCA(P)(2019)13 for details of the name change from April 19 dispensing.

Adjustments (164) (Updated 08/07/2024)

An adjustment is a payment/recovery made to a contractor, it can be for an additional service or to rectify an incorrect payment.
This adjustment definition list will help Pharmacy Contractors/Health Boards identify the adjustment type.