Analysis

According to PharmData analysis, £543,346 was the total amount of fees for consultations paid to pharmacies for NUMSAS in 2017, and £240,489.29 was the total amount paid to cover the cost of medication dispensed in that period

• The use of the service has increased over time, peaking in December 2017
• 1,325 pharmacies in England generated income from the NUMSAS scheme in 2017, out of 11,928 in total, or about 11 per cent of pharmacies
• The top performing pharmacy in England for NUMSAS in 2017 was Karsons Pharmacy who received £10,180.50 in fees and £9,583.53 in drug cost reimbursement for a total of £19,764.03
• In perspective, the maximum amount of income that a pharmacy can earn per year from MURs is £11,200 per financial year
• The items most commonly dispensed as part of the scheme include salbutamol inhalers, sertraline and citalopram, and some of the items most commonly “not supplied” include tramadol and zopiclone
• All of the top 10 performing pharmacies for NUMSAS in 2017 had extended opening hours including weekend opening, as would be expected for an out of hours NHS service.