Courier Update

Published: 20th January 2026

We would like to apologise for the confusion and disruption experienced during the courier collection on Thursday, 8th January 2026. We recognise the impact this has had on pharmacy teams and would like to sincerely thank you for your patience, understanding, and continued cooperation.

Please be assured that we are working closely with Parcelforce and Royal Mail to resolve the issues experienced and to ensure that prescriptions continue to be delivered safely and securely to Gyle Square.

Interim Courier Arrangements

Parcelforce and Royal Mail are in the process of merging, and this has had an unavoidable impact on how the courier service operates. As we work through the changes with Parcelforce and Royal Mail to minimise disruption for our members, an interim solution has been agreed. Parcelforce and Royal Mail have now confirmed that we will remain on the existing (old) courier system until the start of March 2026.

This will apply to collections on the following dates only:

• Thursday, 22nd January 2026

• Thursday, 5th February 2026

• Thursday, 19th February 2026 

• Thursday, 5th March 2026

Contents of Your Envelope

You will have received either two or four Parcelforce tracking labels, depending on the number of courier collections your pharmacy receives each month:

• Two labels – for pharmacies which get one monthly prescription collection

• Four labels – for pharmacies which get two monthly prescription collections

If you have not received the correct number of labels or you use more than one bag at a time, please contact Community Pharmacy Scotland using the details below.

What You Need To Do

Use of Parcelforce Tracking Labels

Please attach the Parcelforce tracking labels to the new unlabelled courier bags that were issued in December 2025.

• The label should be placed to the left of the NSS Scanning Centre address label

• Please ensure the label is not placed over the Health Board cypher label

On the left is the parcelforce tracking label and on the right is the parcelfforce and where to place the label.

Future Collections

We will confirm arrangements for the collection on Thursday, 19th March 2026, and for the remainder of the year, in the coming weeks. Clear and timely communications will be issued as arrangements are finalised.

Need Assistance?

If you run out of tracking labels or courier bags, or if you require any assistance, please contact us, quoting your contractor code:

Phone: 0131 467 7766
Email: pharmacy.services@cps.scot

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Why was there disruption to the courier collection on 8 January 2026?

  The disruption resulted from operational changes linked to the Parcelforce and Royal Mail merger.

• Are we still using the new courier system?

  No. An interim decision has been made to keep pharmacies on the existing (old) courier system until March 2026.

• What should I do if I did not receive enough Parcelforce tracking labels?

  Please contact Community Pharmacy Scotland with your contractor code if you have missing labels or require additional bags.

• How should I apply the Parcelforce tracking label?

  Place it on the new unlabelled courier bags, positioned to the left of the NSS Scanning Centre label and not covering the Health Board cypher.