By Dr Philip Koopowitz – Director Dispex
As we come to the end of this financial year and start the new financial year, one could be forgiven
if you thought every day of April was going to be April Fool’s day.
Just when practices were beginning to stabilise their finances and, using the Dispex Profitability Tools,
they were starting to reduce losses on Generics costing more than Tariff and increasing profitability by
using our Brand Comparisons as well as the Dispensing Friendly Formularies, they will be hit by a 5 pence
per item reduction in Dispensing Fees. If you multiply the number of items you do in a half year by 0.05
you will see how much less remuneration you will be getting over the next 6 months. Added to this is the
welcome increase in National Living Wage as well as the increase in Employers National Insurance
contributions, which all adds extra pressure to practice finances.
Luckily, most dispensers can assist the practice in maintaining overall practice income, and thus
everyone’s job, by ensuring they are dispensing the most profitable options available and changing
prescriptions if appropriate, as well as endorsing where it is appropriate. All of the above information
is available on our website and we run weekly lunchtime tutorials which are great discussion forums to
pick up valuable hints and tips from colleagues.
Another change starting on 6th of April will be the ceasing of the use of the M box on the reverse of the FP10.
Patients collecting their prescriptions after the 5th April 2025 must not be allowed to tick box M – TAX
CREDIT and must select a different box, or pay the prescription charge. In addition, if any box on the back of
the script is ticked there MUST be a mark in the box for Patient/Representative’s signature. If there is NO mark
(initial, signature, x etc) then the NHSBSA will automatically assume you have collected a prescription charge
for each of the items on the FP10 – this can be quite an expensive mistake and I have come across
dispensaries that are losing up to £1,000 a month because of this oversight.
Prescription charges will not rise in April 2025, but watch this space as we expect them to increase in
May 2025!
The overarching theme behind all this is the need for constant training to ensure dispensers are all
changing, endorsing, box-ticking, signature collecting appropriately to reduce unnecessary losses.
Keeping up to date is becoming increasingly difficult, which is why Dispex does the work for you, distilling
important information and providing training updates. In addition, we have launched the Dispex WhatsApp
closed group for Dispex members only. With over 50 members already signed up, it is proving to be a useful
forum for disseminating updates, as well as members helping each other to make the most of new
technology. All Dispex member practices can join with many dispensers, practice managers and GPs
already benefitting. Another free service for Dispex members.
