Dispenser payments and prescription cost analysis
Financial year 2024 to 2025
An Official Statistics publication for Scotland
- Published
- 30 September 2025 (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 2024/25. 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 2024/25 was £1.66 billion. This increased by 2.5% from £1.62 billion in 2023/24 and continues a period of largely rising cost, increasing by 29.8% over the last 10 years.
Products reimbursed
- The total number of items reimbursed between 2023/24 and 2024/25 increased by 2.3%, from 114.4 million to 117.0 million items. Over the last 10 years the total number of items reimbursed has increased by 14.5% from 102.2 million items in 2015/16.
- The cost of items reimbursed (Net Ingredient Cost) increased by 1.2% between 2023/24 and 2024/25 and increased by 23.4% over the last 10 years.
- Glucose interstitial fluid detection sensors had the highest Gross Ingredient Cost at £34.8 million. This carries on from the previous year where Glucose interstitial fluid detection sensors had the highest Gross Ingredient Cost at £29.7 million in 2023/24.
Services provided
- The cost for remuneration of services was £347.1 million in 2024/25. This was an increase of 8.0% from the previous year (£321.4 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 September 2026.
General enquiries
If you have an enquiry relating to this publication, please contact Laura Downie at phs.prescribing@phs.scot.
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If you have a media enquiry relating to this publication, please contact the Communications and Engagement team.
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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.