Reminder: Submit through MYS by 5 December to secure earlier advance payment

Pharmacy contractors can now submit their claims for NHS pharmaceutical services delivered in November 2021 by submitting their FP34Cs through the Manage Your Service (MYS) portal between 1-5 December. To secure access to earlier advance payments on 9 December (for November 2021 prescriptions), contractors must submit their FP34Cs through MYS by the end of Sunday 5 December.

Contractors who submit their November FP34C figures late through MYS (after 5 December) or continue to declare using the paper FP34C submission document will NOT receive any earlier advance payments and instead, receive their advance payments in accordance with the normal payment timetable i.e. on 31 December 2021.

Information for Pharmacy Earlier Payment Scheme (PEPS) contractors

From 1 November 2021, a 12-month transition period was agreed to enable those contractors signed up to the PEPS to move across to the new early advance payment timetable. Under the transition arrangement PEPS pharmacy contractors received a one-off payment on 1 November 2021 which was set at 92% of the final PEPS payment received on 1 October 2021. This one-off payment will be recovered over the remaining 11 months of the transition arrangement in 11 equal parts starting from December 2021 and the last recovery will be on 30 September 2022.

PEPS pharmacy contractors are strongly advised to follow the new earlier timetable for advance payment for claiming for November NHS pharmaceutical services by submitting their FP34C through MYS by 5 December 2021 and by dispatching their batches by 5 December 2021. Failure to do so will result in a gap of one month between payments.

Summary of FP34C claims submitted in November (for October 2021 prescriptions):

• Over 6,000 pharmacy contractors received earlier advance payments on 11 November after making their FP34C submission through MYS by the 5 November.
• 325 pharmacy contractors missed out on earlier advance payments because they submitted their FP34Cs through MYS after the 5 November.
• Over 2,500 pharmacy contractors who used the paper FP34C submission route also missed out on earlier advance payments in November.
• Remaining contractors, were PEPS contractors who received their final PEPS advance payment for October prescriptions on 1 October.

To benefit from earlier advance payments, contractors still relying on the paper FP34C submission document are strongly encouraged to submit their monthly declaration through the MYS portal by the 5th of the month following that in which supply was made. The paper FP34C submission document will only be available until March 2022 (i.e. for prescriptions dispensed in February 2022). From April 2022 (i.e. for prescriptions dispensed in March 2022) MYS will be the only route for all monthly submissions. To benefit from the earlier advance payments, contractors are strongly encouraged to start using the MYS portal to make their FP34C declarations.

If the FP34C submission document and prescription bundle is received very late by the NHSBSA (usually after the 20th of each month), contractors will not receive any advance payment but instead will only receive the final reconciliation payment. The FP34C submission cut-off dates for normal advance payments are published on the NHSBSA’s website.

Contractors should note that the final reconciliation payment date remains unchanged i.e. this will continue to be paid on the 1st working day of the month approximately two months after contractors have submitted the appropriate FP34C form and prescriptions for pricing.

Further details on the new payment arrangements for contractors are outlined in this PSNC Briefing.

Pharmacy contractors can also view an on-demand version of a webinar presented on the changes to advance payments and FP34C submission requirements.

For any queries regarding payments please contact contractorpayments@nhsbsa.nhs.uk.