GP contracts could be devolved to Scottish control as part of Government plans to integrate health and social services more closely.
Currently, the priorities for GP care are negotiated on a UK-wide basis, with an annual budget of £714 million for Scotland. However, proposals put forward by the Scottish Government could lead to around three-quarters negotiated separately for Scotland.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said taking responsibility for the elements of the contract which focus on public health would help doctors play a central role in integrating health and social care.
The plans could result in the transfer of thousands of community care staff from local authorities to health boards.
The British Medical Association said it was vital any changes to the GP contract were evidence-based and said the UK contract had delivered "significant" benefits to patients since its introduction in 2004.
The Health Secretary will set out details of the proposals this week and GPs across the country will be consulted over the next three months.
She said: "I made clear our radical plans for integrating health and social care. GPs will be key to our ability to successfully meet the challenges we face.
"The work contract for Scottish GPs is currently negotiated on a UK basis. Given the scale of the challenges we face, and the changes in England, the time is now right to ask ourselves whether that is still appropriate. I do not believe that it is.
"The NHS reforms in England – which we have no intention of emulating – are a threat to the contract's ability to ensure Scottish patients receive quality care.
"My proposal is not to recast the structure of the contract but instead to repatriate aspects of the annual negotiation in order to introduce change in some important areas – in particular, public health and the standards of care set out in the organisational indicators – and to leave on a UK basis the indicators for good clinical care."
Dr Dean Marshall, chairman of the BMA's Scottish general practitioners committee, said: "We are interested to hear the Cabinet Secretary's views on how the GP contract could be improved. We remain committed to the framework of the UK contract, which has delivered significant benefits to patients since its introduction in 2004.
"The current contract already includes a degree of flexibility which enables the contract to be tailored to the particular needs of general practice in Scotland.
"While we welcome the open dialogue with the Cabinet Secretary, it is vital changes to the GP contract are evidence-based and are negotiated and agreed with us as representatives of the GP profession in Scotland."
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