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Claiming a Top-Up Payment

Where the total monthly Establishment and/or Practice payments in relation to prescriptions passed for pricing are less than the amount which would have been paid had the payments been calculated on a six monthly basis, contractors can claim for a 'top up' payment.

Part VIA Section 1.4 of the Drug Tariff outlines the arrangements for pharmacy contractors to request a top up of their Establishment Payments.

An Establishment Payments top up is only likely to be required where monthly dispensing volumes fluctuate between the payment bands and where contractors have dispensed less than 2,730+ prescription items during one or more months during the period of 1 April 2009 and 30 September 2009, or less than 2,810+ prescription items during one or more months during the period of 1 October 2009 and 31 March 2010.

Part VIA Section 2.8 of the Drug Tariff outlines the arrangements for pharmacy contractors to request a top up of their Practice Payments. Please note that where practice payments were paid at a lower level because minimum staffing levels were not met or because the pharmacy contractor did not declare staffing levels, those months will be disregarded in the calculation of any top up due.

A Practice Payments top up is only likely to be required where monthly dispensing volumes fluctuate between the payment bands and contractors have dispensed less than 2,180+ prescription items during one or more months during the period of 1 April 2009 and 30 September 2009, or less than 2,240+ prescription items during the period 1 October 2009 and 31 March 2010.

It is not possible to apply for a top up of the Transitional Payment.

To claim a top up payment, pharmacy contractors are required to submit copies of their Schedule of Payments for the relevant period (e.g. April to September and/or October to March) to their PCT along with a covering letter. Template letters can be downloaded in Microsoft Word Format by clicking on the links below.

The NHS Prescription Services levy a charge for Schedule of Payment re-prints. The exception to this is where a contractor receives their Schedule of payment information electronically from the NHS Prescription Services rather than in hardcopy but the contractor requires a harcopy to make a claim for a top-up payment. 

2009/10 Template Letters

Template Letter to PCTs to Claim a 'Top Up' Payment (April 09-September 09) (Microsoft Word Document)

Template Letter to PCTs to Claim a 'Top Up' Payment (October 09-March 10) (Microsoft Word Document)

All claims relating to the 2009/10 financial year have to be submitted to PCTs by 30th November 2010. 

For individual queries, please contact the PSNC Information Team for Support.