Courier Service
The Prescription Collection Courier Service that we organise for our Contractors is carried out on our behalf by Parcelforce and Royal Mail. The aim is to assist our contractors to ensure that the timescales are met, supporting timely reimbursement from Practitioner & Counter Fraud Services.
Collection dates
Prescription Collection Dates 2026
To view the specific dates for each collection, please click here. Each envelope containing the courier bags will also include a copy of the Parcelforce/Royal Mail Pharmacy Receipt.
If you have a monthly collection, please note that your collections will be scheduled on the dates highlighted in bold on the posters.
Helpful tips
Courier Guidance Notes
To reduce the chance of the Parcelforce bags bursting and prescriptions being lost or damaged on their way to P&CFS, please check out our guide which we hope will help you package them safely.
- When sealing the bag from the new allocation, check that it can be closed securely and that the bag is not overfilled.
- Remember that if you are using more than 1 bag, put a note inside both bags stating that this is “1 of 2 bags” or “2 of 2 bags”.
- If you are using more than 1 bag for your collection, please copy the details from both bag labels.
- When the driver arrives, you should always ask to see some form of identification before handing over your prescriptions.
- Ask the driver to sign the pharmacy receipt alongside the “Customer Use Only” number, which you will have either written by hand or adhered the label to.
Packing checklist
Please Do & Please Don’t
Please do
- Use 2 bags if you have more than 6,000 forms
- Call us on 0131 467 7766 for more bags
- Keep stock orders and PC70s separate
- Include your GP34 Declaration Form
- Tightly secure scripts with bands and then seal the bag
Please don’t
- Overfill the bag
- Place loose scripts in the bags
- Use staples, sticky labels, paperclips, or tape
- Use the same bag if it has already been opened
- Wrap forms around the banded scripts, as these may be easily torn
Before you call
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Most collection problems come down to a handful of things — a missing label, running low on bags, or not knowing where your GP34 comes from. Here’s how to sort each one quickly.
GP34s aren’t supplied by CPS. Further supplies of stationery forms, including GP34s, should be ordered through your Health Board contact — please order in good time so you don’t run out before your next supply arrives. See Stationery Contacts for your Health Board’s ordering details.
Please ensure your courier bag has had a label attached to it before it leaves the pharmacy. If the Royal Mail collector does not have a label, please do not hand your bag over. Contact us direct at CPS on 0131 467 7766 or pharmacy.services@cps.scot and we will rearrange a new collection for you.
Please contact us direct at CPS on 0131 467 7766 or pharmacy.services@cps.scot the day of, or the day after, your expected collection date if there has been any unexpected issue — for example not ready, missed, no collection, or no label. We are here to help you.
Please only send your prescription bag with the booked label. If you’re unsure what the Royal Mail collector has come in for, check with a colleague and double-check the expected courier collection date before handing over any other packages, e.g. shop equipment, medication, leaflets, or uniforms. Your prescriptions will always be booked for the expected dates, and the collector will always come with a label to adhere to the bag before leaving the pharmacy.
Please do not tape or attach bags together under one label. If you have two bags rather than one, contact us direct at CPS on 0131 467 7766 or pharmacy.services@cps.scot and we will arrange another label and collection for you. If you’d rather keep both bags together for collection, that’s no problem — just let us know on the call whether you need one or two labels rebooked.
If you find yourself running low on courier bags, or you haven’t received or have misplaced your allocated pack, please call us direct at CPS on 0131 467 7766 or email pharmacy.services@cps.scot and we shall arrange for a supply to be sent out to you.
Please get in touch if any of the following apply
- You have missed the collection date
- The driver has not turned up on the day of collection
- You require more Parcelforce bags
Please do not contact Parcelforce or Practitioner & Counter Fraud Services directly — contact CPS instead.