Fraud in pharmacy could be costing the NHS up to £93 million per year, a report suggests.

“Staff claiming for more drugs than actually dispensed or for services not provided” is said to be a cause of the loss in pharmacy, according to a review led by former NHS anti-fraud boss Jim Gee.

“Defrauding the NHS of much-needed resources is indefensible. Any pharmacist found guilty of defrauding the NHS can face serious consequences including loss of their licence to practice as a pharmacist, substantial fine and a possible prison sentence,” said RPS director of England Howard Duff.

“The vast majority of pharmacists work hard to ensure every penny of NHS funding is used to improve patient care. They, patients and the public will be shocked and appalled by the alleged scale of the fraud in the NHS set out in today’s report.”

“Like them, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society is fully supportive of action by Government and regulators to reduce NHS fraud and are willing to play our part in making sure the NHS is protected.”

Across the NHS up to £5.7 billion is lost, with up to £1.49 billion lost false allowance claims and incorrect qualifications claims by staff.

Among the examples highlighted were dentists claiming money for NHS care they did not carry out and GPs falsifying records for extra payments.