Community Pharmacy Scotland

What Community Pharmacy Scotland does

Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) is the statutorily recognized representative and negotiating body for community pharmacy contractors across Scotland, operating as a registered Scottish charity (SC401969) headquartered at 42 Queen Street, Edinburgh. Founded in 1912 (per firmographic data) and employing 11–50 staff, CPS negotiates the annual community pharmacy funding settlement with the Scottish Government (totalling £343.313m in guaranteed funding for 2025/26), coordinates delivery of NHS services through the contractor network across Scotland's 14 NHS Health Boards, and acts as the official conduit for Scottish Government circulars, regulatory guidance, and policy communication to its members.

CPS does not operate as a technology vendor; its portfolio consists of NHS-funded clinical services (NHS Pharmacy First Scotland, NHS Pharmacy First Plus independent prescribing, Public Health Services including Emergency Hormonal Contraception, Smoking Cessation Varenicline, and Naloxone Emergency Supply, and the Unscheduled Care Service), supported by digital tools (the Members Area portal at members.cps.scot, the Scottish Drug Tariff Price Reporter, Part 7 Drug Tariff reference, and the Medicines Care and Review Ready Reckoner), and operational services (Courier Collection, PVG Scheme administration). The NHS Pharmacy First Scotland service, launched July 2020 and progressively expanded through additional Patient Group Directions, has delivered over 2 million consultations and remains the organization's flagship channel for shifting primary-care demand from GPs to community pharmacy.

CPS is funded indirectly through the community pharmacy funding settlement negotiated with the Scottish Government — contractors do not pay direct membership fees. Its go-to-market is community-led: it reaches its member base via the cps.scot website, eNewsletter campaigns, SG Circulars notifications, press activity, and its Members Area portal. Strategic partnerships with NHS Scotland, NHS Education for Scotland, Public Health Scotland, NHS 24, Optometry Scotland, GPhC, the University of Strathclyde, and Robert Gordon University underpin service development, training, and public health delivery. As a non-profit trade body with no private equity backing, no M&A activity, and no standalone revenue disclosure, CPS's growth is policy-driven rather than market-driven.

Name

Community Pharmacy Scotland

Legal name

Community Pharmacy Scotland

Website

https://cps.scot

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Pharmacy Scotland is the designated representative body for community pharmacy contractors in Scotland. Headquartered in Edinburgh, it negotiates annual funding with the Scottish Government, coordinates NHS Pharmacy First Scotland service delivery across 14 Health Boards, and provides operational support and regulatory guidance to its member pharmacy network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Funded by community pharmacy contractor members through a global sum and other pharmacy funding arrangements negotiated with the Scottish Government. The organization receives funding as part of the community pharmacy funding settlement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) is the recognised representative body for community pharmacy contractors in Scotland, negotiating with the Scottish Government on funding, contractual frameworks, and policy. It delivers NHS Pharmacy First Scotland and Pharmacy First Plus services, public health service add-ons, digital drug tariff tools, a courier collection service for pharmacy contractors, and regulatory support including PVG scheme administration and members area resources.

Product overview

Community Pharmacy Scotland operates as a membership organization representing community pharmacies in Scotland, offering a portfolio of NHS-funded clinical services and digital tools. The core offering is NHS Pharmacy First Scotland, a consultation service for minor ailments delivered through Patient Group Directions (PGDs) for conditions including UTIs, impetigo, shingles, and skin infections, with NHS Pharmacy First Plus extending capabilities through pharmacist independent prescribing. Supporting services include Public Health Services (Smoking Cessation Varenicline, Naloxone Emergency Supply, Emergency Hormonal Contraception) and Unscheduled Care. Digital infrastructure comprises the Members Area portal, Scottish Drug Tariff Price Reporter, Part 7 Drug Tariff tools, and the Medicines Care and Review Ready Reckoner. Operational services include courier collection and PVG scheme administration. The portfolio is distributed through the main website (cps.scot), a members-only portal (members.cps.scot), and communications channels including SG Circulars and newsletters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NHS Pharmacy First Scotland: National community pharmacy service for the treatment of minor and common clinical conditions, including Pharmacy First Plus (independent prescribing element).
• Scottish Drug Tariff Price Reporter
• CP(HB) Committees

Products and services

• NHS Pharmacy First Scotland
• NHS Pharmacy First Plus
• Public Health Service (PHS)
• Smoking Cessation Varenicline Service
• Naloxone Emergency Supply Service
• Unscheduled Care Service
• Scottish Drug Tariff Price Reporter
• Part 7 Drug Tariff
• Medicines Care and Review Ready Reckoner
• Courier Collection Service
• PVG Scheme for Community Pharmacy
• Members Area

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2 million NHS Pharmacy First Scotland consultations delivered since July 2020 launch
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Scottish GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPS is the recognized negotiating body for community pharmacy with the Scottish Government. The partnership covers the annual pharmacy funding settlement, policy development, service specifications, and regulatory frameworks including the NHS Pharmacy First Scotland service.
• NHS Scotland / NHS Health BoardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPS coordinates with the 14 NHS Health Boards in Scotland for service delivery, local service negotiations, and implementation of national pharmacy services including NHS Pharmacy First Scotland.
• NHS Education for Scotland (NES)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for pharmacist training and education including Independent Prescribing courses, Foundation Training Year support, and physical assessment skills training for community pharmacy teams.
• Public Health ScotlandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on public health initiatives including NHS Pharmacy First Scotland reporting, vaccination programs, and health campaigns such as the gonorrhoea vaccination programme.
• NHS 24majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS 24 refers patients to community pharmacies and works with CPS on service specifications, clinical contact records, and emergency supply requests by NHS 24 prescribers.
• Community Pharmacy Health Board (CP(HB)) CommitteescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal committees across NHS Health Board areas that negotiate and develop local pharmacy services, with CPS providing support and coordination.
• Blood Bikes ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPS Charity Partner for 2025/26. CPS supports the charity through events including the annual Charity Golf Day, which raised over £8,700 for the organization.
• APS GroupminorOthersAPS Group handles printing and distribution of Pharmacy First patient leaflets and posters. Contact: [email protected]
• Optometry ScotlandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on eye care services including the Minor Eye Conditions service, developing two-way referral pathways between community optometry and community pharmacy.
• University of StrathclydemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Sir David Jack Hub launch and collaboration on pharmacy education, independent prescribing training, and professional development.
• Robert Gordon University (RGU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRGU provides Designated Prescribing Practitioner handbook and application processes for Independent Prescribing training for community pharmacists.
• GPhC (General Pharmaceutical Council)coreOthersGPhC is the regulatory body for pharmacists and pharmacies. CPS coordinates with GPhC on inspectorate procedures, training reforms, and professional standards.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Company Chemists' Association (CCA): The CCA represents large community pharmacy operators in the UK. While CPS represents the broader Scottish contractor network including independents, the CCA focuses on multiple-chain operators across the UK, with overlapping policy and advocacy themes.
• National Pharmacy Association (NPA): The NPA is a UK-wide trade association representing independent community pharmacy owners and contractors. It overlaps with CPS's contractor representation function but operates across multiple UK nations rather than focusing on a single national contract.

Others

• NHS Scotland: NHS Scotland is the direct contracting counterpart and key partner of CPS, coordinating service delivery through 14 NHS Health Boards. While not a competitor, it is the payer for the community pharmacy services CPS negotiates and supports.
• Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorate: The Scottish Government directorate responsible for health policy is the primary negotiating counterpart for CPS on annual funding settlements and service frameworks. It is the principal funder of the £343.313m community pharmacy network settlement.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS): The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is the professional body for pharmacists across Great Britain, with overlapping advocacy and policy engagement functions. Unlike CPS, RPS represents pharmacists as professionals (not contractors) and operates across multiple UK nations.

Direct peers

• Community Pharmacy Wales: Community Pharmacy Wales is the recognized representative body for community pharmacy contractors in Wales, analogous to CPS's role in Scotland. Both organizations negotiate with their respective national governments on funding, service specifications, and pharmacy regulation.
• Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland (CPNI): CPNI represents community pharmacy contractors in Northern Ireland, mirroring CPS's representative and negotiating function within a different UK nation's health system. Both bodies sit between contractors and their respective national health authorities.
• Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC): PSNC is the equivalent recognized representative body for community pharmacy contractors in England, performing the same negotiating role with NHS England that CPS performs with the Scottish Government. Both bodies negotiate funding settlements, drug tariff terms, and service frameworks on behalf of their contractor members.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CPharmacyScot
• Facebookfacebook.com/cpscotland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Pharmacy Scotland