Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 17
17
NHSBSA amended PEPS within the existing arrangements from July 2020 at the request of the...
Conclusion
NHSBSA amended PEPS within the existing arrangements from July 2020 at the request of the Department. This amendment allowed pharmacies to obtain funds at the beginning of the month, prior to dispensing, thereby introducing a higher risk to the lender in the event of a pharmacy failing. Under this existing NHSBSA call-off contract, access to loans were provided with a duration of up to 60 days and issued up to one month before dispensing activity. The lender bore the additional risk of a pharmacy borrowing money at the start of the month but ceasing to trade before dispensing prescriptions in the month ahead.18