Dispensing Doctors' Association

21/07/2026

Fridge failures are a common and very costly problem for the dispensary. Yet, there are measures you can take to reduce the risk of having to write off spoiled stock.

In our first DDA26 Conference Special Podcast, DDA Communications Officer Ailsa Colquhoun speaks with Gold Exhibitor MediP to understand how practices - and DDA members in particular - can protect their fridge lines.

You might also find out about the key fashion trends in surgery furniture.

Listen in to get a better grip on your surgery costs, performance and savings.

https://www.dispensingdoctor.org/news/the-dda26-conference-exhibition-whats-in-store/

13/07/2026

The DHSC is in denial over EPS funding
Continual assertions by the DHSC that the dispensing fee covers expenses such as the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) are wearing thin, the DDA has said in light of new dispensing fee analysis.
Across Great Britain, GP negotiators have made efforts to secure funding to implement the EPS in dispensing practice. In England, these have been met with denials by health minister Stephen Kinnock that the dispensing fee needs review. The stock party line is that the dispensing fee – inherently unchanged since 2012 – covers IT costs.
However, according to DDA calculations, in real terms, over the past decade (to 2025/26) the dispensing GP fee envelope in England has plunged 17.5 per cent and the average fee even further - at £1.58 versus £2.06, representing a 23.4 per cent drop. In Scotland, the dispensing fee is unchanged since 2002.
It is the view of the DDA that across Great Britain the need to address NHS funding for the EPS has never been more acute. In Scotland, the last of the three mainland home countries to develop electronic prescribing, the first prescriptions to be sent electronically will take place in the third quarter of 2028, the Scottish Government has just announced.
As in England, both the DPDP in Scotland and the EPS in Wales have failed to consider from the outset arrangements for the 3.58 million dispensing patients that dispensing practices serve.
In England, since its introduction in 2019, the EPS has matured into a system typically handling well in excess of 90 million items a month.
However, the difficulties faced by dispensing patients accessing the EPS are reflected in official NHS England statistics. These show that for dispensing practice in England, the EPS nomination rate for all (prescribing and dispensing) patients falls to 67 per cent, or around 500,000 items a month, reflecting the absence of dispensing patients.1
The DDA’s advice remains that practices should avoid privately funding the EPS, where possible – a stance that will be discussed in more detail at the DDA 2026 Conference. DDA Chairman Dr Richard West said: “Our strength lies in our unity. There are very good reasons why the EPS should be funded in rural areas. The GPCs are on our side. What we need is the political will to do the right thing for the rural patient, for greater NHS efficiency and for the practices that have been left behind – and exposed to unfair competition – simply by the NHS modernisation agenda.”
Read the full feature online at https://lnkd.in/etbPq78h

07/07/2026

The chemist in our village is closing. Are we allowed to resume dispensing services to these patients as there will not be a chemist within a 5 mile radius?

Does anyone have any neat solutions/processes to maximise income for appliances via DAC and minimise admin?

To help with greener practice we would like to discontinue providing repeat slips to patients. Has anyone managed to do this, if you have how did you do it please?

These and a whole host of other practical dispensary queries have been answered by members of the DDA's member only Best Practice group.

This group now has 860 members and is just one of the many free resources available exclusively to DDA members.

The cost of DDA membership is now at its lowest level ahead of the 2026 DDA conference - which is also free to DDA members.

There are so many free benefits of being a DDA member. Why not join us now?

For more details visit:

Membership of the Dispensing Doctors’ Association is open to GP practices with an interest in dispensing. Membership is practice based* and one membership will provide all practice staff with access to the help and support of the DDA Board Members and the DDA Office Team, and also to our exclusiv...

30/06/2026

There's never been a better time to join the Dispensing Doctors' Association!

From July 1, membership fees for the Dispensing Doctors' Association (DDA) fall to their lowest rates ahead of the DDA 2026 Conference

Conference places are free for all DDA members, and your entire practice team can now join the DDA for just £327* - that's less than the cost of sending just one staff member to the whole conference.

Membership of the Dispensing Doctors’ Association is open to GP practices with an interest in dispensing. Membership is practice based and one membership will provide all practice staff with access to the help and support of the DDA Board Members and the DDA Office Team, free access to the DDA 2026 Conference, and also to our exclusive member-only resources designed to support the safe and effective delivery of practice-based dispensing services.

These resources include our Facebook group where more than 850 dispensers and lead dispensing GPs share their best practice hints and tips, and seek advice from their peers.

The DDA 2026 conference offers delegates two days' unrestricted access to the advice of the DDA Board, a comprehensive education programme, including new breakout sessions designed to support practical dispensing - and an exhibition hall with over 38 exhibitors covering areas such as medicines and devices, dispensing technology and services to support profitability.

The conference is free of charge for DDA members and delegate packages include a light lunch, refreshments throughout the day, and our ever-popular drinks reception on the Wednesday evening.

The DDA conference takes place on Weds 30 September - Thurs 1 October, 2026 at the National Conference Centre, Birmingham.

Remember! Places are free for all DDA members

The DDA is a non-profit organisation and all subscription income is invested in the work of the DDA on behalf of members.

Listen to the DDA 2026 conference preview podcast
https://www.dispensingdoctor.org/about-the-dda/dda-political-activity/podcasts/

Join the DDA today and register for your free conference place online
https://www.dispensingdoctor.org/conference/

* (based on practice dispensing list size of 5001 - 5500)

30/06/2026

Be heard before, during and after the DDA Conference

The DDA is delighted to offer DDA 2026 conference exhibitors the exclusive and unique opportunity to promote your conference offers and messages before, during and after the DDA conference.

The DDA podcast series has established itself as the go-to podcast for dispensing GPs and their staff, brining information and analysis of dispensing doctor matters alive via engaging conversations with DDA Board Members and invited guests.

To support DDA conference exhibitors before, during and after the conference, the DDA is making a limited number of 10-minute promotional podcasts available to exhibitors only, offering a unique opportunity to raise brand awareness and showcase your product portfolio directly to your target audience before and after the DDA's annual conference.

All podcast activity will be promoted across the DDA’s social and digital channels, including the DDA website (open or member only areas), member-only Facebook group, X, LinkedIn and key podcast channels including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Castro, Castbox and Goodpods, within a week of your approval of the recording.

Sign up quickly to maximise your reach before the conference to a combined DDA audience of over 1,700 followers.

The DDA is proud to be supported by around 85 per cent of all dispensing GPs across Great Britain.

Sponsorship Package Includes
A dedicated 10-minute podcast slot hosted by the DDA’s Communications Officer, Ailsa Colquhoun (topic and key messaging jointly agreed in advance, recording scheduled at a convenient time during July or August 2026)
Full approval of the podcast edit
Your company logo and URL featured within the episode description
Promotion within the weekly DDA newsletter and on the DDA website
The podcast episode shared for promotion across your own social media channels
Cost: £750+VAT

If you are interested in this exclusive add-on sponsorship opportunity, please contact [email protected] to reserve your place in the podcast series.

Other sponsorship opportunities are also available, including the Drinks Reception and Leaflet distribution in DDA delegate bags or on theatre seats. Please contact [email protected] for more information

22/06/2026

In the recent contract settlement, pharmacy fees went up to recognise the NI and minimum wage rises.
Crucially, there is also recognition from Government that there is a funding gap (as identified by the economic analysis) that needs revisiting in order to achieve a sustainable model for community pharmacy.
Since the announcement of the new pharmacy contract, community pharmacies have also been commissioned as a one-off advanced service for administering a MenB vaccine to protect all Year 13 pupils and those under 25 years of age starting university or living in further education accommodation or halls of residence for the first time in autumn 2026.
Nowhere in the commissioning or contract awards have we seen recognition that the same piece of work needs to take place for dispensing GPs as a matter of urgency.
For patients to receive a safe and efficient service those running it need to be able to cover their costs and make a fair return on their investment of time and money.
In order to recruit and retain good staff businesses need to reward them fairly.
Legitimate business costs need to be reflected in all NHS contracts. And that includes the contract for dispensing GPs

16/06/2026

Convenience is no longer a nice-to-have, but a core value exchange between brands and consumers, according to a new report from retail analyst Mintel

Convenience as the New Consumer Currency highlights that today’s consumers often operate under time-sensitive schedules and feel mentally overloaded. It says: “In this environment, convenience is less about novelty and more about relief. It is defined by the reduction of friction, effort, and decision fatigue, and is now shaping expectations across categories and redefining what meaningful value looks like.”

Adding convenience in the dispensary is the aim of NHS initiatives such as ‘Amazon-style’ prescription tracking that enables patients to track the progress of electronic prescriptions live in NHS App. The aim is to reduce unnecessary calls and visits to dispensaries using the electronic prescription service (EPS). In its press release NHS England estimated that almost half (45 per cent) of phone calls to community pharmacies are from patients asking if their prescription is ready, with the new service helping to free up time for pharmacists to provide advice to patients. The app flags when medicines are “ready to collect” or “dispatched by pharmacy” if they are being delivered.

At launch, the service was expected to be made available to nearly 5,000 more pharmacies by May 2026 – covering 60 per cent of those in England.

For pharmacies, the EPS is the foundation of additional NHS app funcionality, and this is considered a success story for the NHS in England. It is also the model being used for the development of electronic prescribing programmes in Wales and Scotland. In the week to June 5, 2026, in England, there were 53.31 million active EPS nominations, which represents a rise of 72,147 on the previous week.

Increasing use of the EPS increasingly prejudices rural patients and their dispensing practices who stubbornly remain out of scope of the EPS programme and without NHS funding for the proprietary EPS modules that have been developed for dispensing practices. Inclusion in the EPS, particularly as NHS app functionality increases remains a key contractual negotiation point for the DDA, in partnership with the GB GPCs.

So, what does convenience in the dispensary look like?

According to Mintel, in the retail environment, value lies in streamlined shopping, faster preparation, and effortless consumption through fewer steps, fewer decisions, and faster access to what is needed in the moment. It says: “Time-saving solutions are especially relevant as consumers juggle work, life at home, and social commitments in increasingly fragmented routines.”

Faster access takes many forms – from dedicated personnel focussed on patient-facing services to dispensary automation reducing out of stocks, dispensary errors and improving 24/7 access to prescriptions via vending machines. Mintel says: “Quick delivery, easy-to-use formats, and frictionless checkout experiences are no longer perceived as added benefits, but as expected features of convenient retail.”

In his presentation to the DDA 2024 conference – and follow up podcast on ‘The Smarter Dispensary’ - DDA Board Member Mark Stone makes several recommendations to improve dispensary productivity:

Going paperless with medication requests, improves processing time by 3-4 times
Delivery management system, reducing unnecessary contacts
Prescription vending machines, giving patients the convenience they seek without losing them to online pharmacies.
If you would like to understand how dispensary automation can help improve patient satisfaction with your dispensary services, come to the DDA 2026 conference. A wide range of dispensary automation providers, including vending machines, have already signed up to attend.

Sign up today to see what dispensary automation can do for you and your patients. Sign up for your free place at the 2026 DDA Conference.

Listen to the DDA 2026 conference podcast

Listen to the DDA podcast with Board Member Mark Stone, The Smarter Dispensary

https://www.dispensingdoctor.org/news/convenience-is-no-longer-a-nice-to-have/

05/06/2026

Does your drug statement leave you scratching your head? Are you at a loss to know how to interpret the figures and what they are telling you about your profitability and loss?

Understanding your drug statement is just one of our new breakout sessions at the 2026 DDA Conference designed to give dispensers better dispensary management skills. (Weds 30 September 11.30) Boost your career, as well as your dispensary profits, by popping along to this great session.

The costs of sending just two members of your team to the DDA conference is less than a DDA membership for your whole practice.*

Join the DDA to come to conference for free - as well as benefit from the wide range of DDA benefits.
What are you waiting for?

(*from July 1. Based on dispensing list size of 5501 - 6000).

Join the DDA now!

The 2026 conference takes place Weds 30 September -Thurs 1 October, again at the National Conference Centre Birmingham B92 0EJ.

29/05/2026

"It's the 'Golden hour' to engage with the new health secretary." That's the call to action from Suffolk Coastal MP and Chair of the Labour Rural Research Group (LRRG) Jenny Riddell-Carpenter in the latest episode of the DDA Podcast.

In this podcast, hear Riddell-Carpenter set out the implications of the change at the top of the Department of Health and Social Care, how rural GPs can be at the heart of Neighbourhood Health and why dispensing GPs are critical to that conversation.

Listen to the latest DDA podcast: The rural voice in the UK parliament

"It's the 'Golden hour' to engage with the new health secretary." That's the call to action from Suffolk Coastal MP and Chair of the Labour Rural Research Group (LRRG) Jenny Riddell-Carpenter in the latest episode of the DDA Podcast.

19/05/2026

If you've ever wondered what the DDA does for you, read this pledge from the health minister to work with the DDA and the BMA over the next 10 months to inform the long-term approach regarding the way dispensing is funded.

Political lobby is the core function of the DDA. It goes on every day, sometimes quietly behind the scenes, but it's always happening, and occasionally, finally, it gets publicly recognised in a specific response from the DHSC. And without the support of our members and corporate supporters, this work just could not happen. There are lots of ways you can support us - but coming to our 2026 conference (Sept 30-Oct 1) in Birmingham would be a good start.

Read more at

News » DDA news, DM Zone news, Political News » Dispensing reform will start this financial year, health minister pledges