Wholesalers Update – Direct Debits

Last week the NPA wrote to wholesalers requesting that they do not take direct debit payments from pharmacy contractors until after the 3rd April. This is in light of the fact that the final NHS payment of 2017-18 to community pharmacy contractors in England will not be made until that date.

We are pleased to report that most wholesalers have confirmed that they are not taking payment until after that date, including all the full-line wholesalers.  Others have yet to reply, so if you have any concerns that you may encounter a cash flow difficulty this month, you are advised to check payment dates with your short-line wholesaler.  Meanwhile, you may be interested to read this article in the Sunday Express, which refers to the current situation.