# New dispensing fee scales apply from 1 October 2026

> SFE amendment No. 4 sets new per-prescription dispensing fees from 1 Oct 2026, with slightly lower rates already set for 1 April 2027.

- Published: 30 Sep 2026
- Type: News
- Topic: Finance
- For: Practice managers
- Applies to: England
- Review: Reviewed by the Abtrace team
- Web page: https://ontherecord.abtrace.com/posts/dispensing-feescale-october-2026/

## What's changed

- Annex G of the GMS Statement of Financial Entitlements has new dispensing fee scales from 1 Oct 2026. Fees are set per prescription in bands, worked out separately for each dispensing practitioner.
- For practices authorised or required to dispense, the fee runs from 239.1p for up to 487 prescriptions down to 211.8p for 4,872 and over.
- A separate scale applies to contractors that are not authorised or required to dispense, from 249.2p down to 221.8p.
- Both scales drop slightly from 1 April 2027, for example to 236.6p and 246.6p in the lowest band.

## Who it affects

GMS dispensing practices in England, and other practices paid under the non-dispensing scale. The directions were signed on 30 Sep 2026 and apply in England only.

## What to do

- Check which scale applies to your practice and which bands your dispensing practitioners usually fall into.
- Update your income forecast for the rest of 2026/27 using the new rates from October.
- Build the lower 2027/28 rates into next year's budget now.
- Check your first payment after October against the new scale and query any difference with your ICB.

## Sources

- [GOV.UK: General Medical Services Statement of Financial Entitlements Directions](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/general-medical-services-statement-of-financial-entitlements-directions)
- [DHSC: GMS Statement of Financial Entitlements (Amendment) (No. 4) Directions 2026 (PDF)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6abd06d7943e890cb55e5d21/general-medical-services-statement-of-financial-entitlements-amendment-no4-directions-2026.pdf)

Published by Abtrace on On the Record (https://ontherecord.abtrace.com/). Summaries only; always check the linked source.