Pharmacies in Scotland are to receive a financial support payment for staffing costs between May and June of this year, with a sum of £4.5m for the sector agreed by the Scottish Government and Community Pharmacy Scotland after the latter carried out a cost survey.

A November 27 Government circular states that each contractor will receive a single glat payment of £1,200 and a further share of the remaining £3m based on the total number of medicines they dispensed between March and May.

This is in addition to a previous financial support payment amounting to £5.5m made to pharmacies earlier in the pandemic.

A further payment of £500 is also being made to pharmacy workers as thanks for their efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic, as announced by first minister Nicola Sturgeon earlier this week.