Published: 03/09/23

The Service Efficiency Payment is for achieving a target level of electronic claiming for prescriptions submitted for pricing by Practitioner Services. 

Existing contractors have a target payment amount and any new contractors added to the Pharmaceutical List from 1st April 2023 will have a target payment of £150 per month.

From 1st April 2023, to receive the payment, contractors must achieve the continuing claim rate of at least 80% for all possible claims, including care home items, instalments and stoma items.

On or above this 80% threshold, the contractor will receive a full payment of their own target SE payment. Below the threshold, contractors will not be eligible for any payment, except in the following circumstances: 

A contractor who wouldn’t otherwise receive a payment for a particular month may request the Health Board to consider failure to achieve the 80% threshold as exceptional and out with the contractor’s control and authorise a special payment. If an application is made, and the Health Board considers that failure to achieve the 80% threshold is out with the contractor’s control, a full or partial payment may be authorised at the discretion of the Health Board. 

Where there are issues locally, for example where a surgery has had network connection issues, contractors should call the ePharmacy helpdesk to make them aware. This can then be considered along with the SE% achieved.