Following discussions between Community Pharmacy England and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) regarding medicine pricing issues reported by pharmacy owners, the Department has today (20/12/2023) announced the following list of price concessions for December 2023.
Community Pharmacy England has received a large number of reports of products not available at their Drug Tariff listed prices this month. We reviewed and submitted price concession applications as early as possible to try and reach agreement on these as early as possible. The below is the second set of agreed concessions but we are waiting to hear back from DHSC on many more lines.
Drug
Pack size
Price concession
Amiodarone 200mg tablets
28
£1.83
Azithromycin 250mg capsules
6
£1.73
Carbocisteine 250mg/5ml oral solution
300
£6.86
Chlorphenamine 2mg/5ml oral solution sugar free
150
£3.65
Cinacalcet 30mg tablets
28
£7.18
Clarithromycin 125mg/5ml oral suspension
70
£4.43
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg tablets
30
£1.32
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg tablets
100
£4.40
Colecalciferol 1,000unit capsules
30
£7.69
Dorzolamide 20mg/ml eye drops
5
£3.43
Doxazosin 4mg tablets
28
£0.91
Escitalopram 10mg tablets
28
£1.27
Etoricoxib 90mg tablets
28
£2.90
Fludrocortisone 100microgram tablets
30
£6.32
Haloperidol 5mg tablets
28
£4.62
Hydrocortisone 1% cream
15
£2.80
Hydrocortisone 1% cream
30
£3.35
Hydrocortisone 1% cream
50
£2.96
Ketoconazole 2% shampoo
120
£19.40
Lamotrigine 100mg tablets
56
£4.07
Lansoprazole 15mg gastro-resistant capsules
28
£0.93
Lansoprazole 15mg orodispersible tablets
28
£2.84
Memantine 10mg/ml oral solution sugar free
50
£45.03
Metformin 500mg/5ml oral solution sugar free
150
£27.90
Montelukast 10mg tablets
28
£2.68
Montelukast 5mg chewable tablets sugar free
28
£1.21
Morphine sulfate 10mg/5ml oral solution
300
£5.45
Oxycodone 5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free
250
£9.60
Piroxicam 0.5% gel
60
£2.12
Piroxicam 0.5% gel
112
£3.96
Pyridostigmine bromide 60mg tablets
200
£28.00
Rasagiline 1mg tablets
28
£20.23
Risperidone 1mg/ml oral solution sugar free
100
£3.16
Risperidone 2mg tablets
60
£2.03
Risperidone 4mg tablets
60
£2.39
Simvastatin 80mg tablets
28
£1.95
Sodium valproate 200mg/5ml oral solution sugar free
300
£10.21
Sulpiride 200mg tablets
30
£3.44
Sulpiride 200mg/5ml oral solution sugar free
150
£102.45
Timolol 0.5% eye drops
5
£1.89
For the full list of price concessions granted so far for December 2023, please visit our webpage: cpe.org.uk/priceconcessions
No additional endorsements are required for price concessions. A price concession only applies for the month it is granted; any prices agreed for concessions requested late in the month will roll over into the following month.
We encourage pharmacies to report any problems obtaining a Part VIII product at or below the stated Drug Tariff price, using the online feedback form on the Community Pharmacy England website. Please include full details of the supplier and price paid for any products sourced above the Drug Tariff price. We will investigate the extent of the problem and, if appropriate, discuss the issue with DHSC.
Please subscribe to our mailing list to receive email updates of any price concessions.
Further information on price concessions and FAQs about the process involved can be found on our website (cpe.org.uk/priceconcessions) To hear more on how the current price concessions system operates, pharmacy teams can now access a recording of our recent Medicines Supply and Concessions Briefing webinar here.
Improvements to the price concession system
Following significant concerns raised by pharmacies about the unsustainable level of prices imposed by DHSC in second half of 2022, it was agreed that an urgent review of the price concession setting system would take place.
Since this announcement, we have sent a strong and clear message back to Government that pharmacies cannot continue to subsidise the NHS medicines bill. Following the review of the concessionary price process, a package of measures has been developed to improve the system.
One of the solutions agreed between us and DHSC is that from 1st April 2023, all products granted a concessionary price will be classified as ‘Discount Not Deducted’ for the month(s) in which they are on concession.
Furthermore, from May 2023, DHSC has implemented a process to roll over prices to the following month for any concessions requested after the 23rd of the month provided these prices were agreed with us. We are also continuing to work with DHSC on how a ‘retrospective increased payment’ may apply, where appropriate. Further information regarding this concession ‘top-up’ mechanism will be issued once details are finalised.
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