Dispenser payments and prescription cost analysis
Financial year 2025 to 2026
An Official Statistics publication for Scotland
- Published
- 29 September 2026 (Latest release)
- Type
- Statistical report
- Author
- Public Health Scotland
About this release
This annual release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) reports on the number and cost of NHS prescriptions dispensed in the community in Scotland for the financial year 2025/26. It includes a breakdown of dispensing contractor (community pharmacists, dispensing doctors and appliance suppliers) payments, which are for services provided (remuneration) and products dispensed (reimbursement). The report also includes additional information on specific Community Pharmacy services.
Main points
Overall cost
- The total (net) cost, which is the final cost to the Scottish Government once item costs, service remuneration, advance payments and patient charges are taken into account, for dispensing items and providing services in 2025/26 was £1.67 billion. This increased by 0.8% from £1.66 billion in 2024/25 and continues a period of largely rising cost, increasing by 27.9% over the last 10 years.
Products reimbursed
- The total number of items reimbursed between 2024/25 and 2025/26 increased by 1.3%, from 117.0 million to 118.5 million items. Over the last 10 years the total number of items reimbursed has increased by 14.6% from 103.4 million items in 2016/17.
- The cost of items reimbursed (Net Ingredient Cost) decreased by 0.4% between 2024/25 and 2025/26 and increased by 19.3% over the last 10 years.
- Glucose interstitial fluid detection sensors had the highest Gross Ingredient Cost at £39.98 million. This carries on from the previous year where Glucose interstitial fluid detection sensors had the highest Gross Ingredient Cost at £34.8 million in 2024/25.
Services provided
- The cost for remuneration of services was £369.4 million in 2025/26. This was an increase of 6.4% from the previous year (£347.1 million).
Background
Information on NHS services provided in community pharmacies, prescription items supplied by community pharmacies, dispensing doctors and appliance suppliers is obtained from the national Prescribing Information System. Further information on the data can be found in the main report.
Further information
The next release of this publication will be 28 September 2027.
General enquiries
If you have an enquiry relating to this publication, please contact Laura Downie at phs.prescribing@phs.scot.
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Older versions of this publication
Versions of this publication released before 16 March 2020 may be found on the Data and Intelligence, Health Protection Scotland or Improving Health websites.