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 (22/12/2023) 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 quickly. The below is the third set of price concessions. We will continue to discuss this with DHSC during the Christmas and New Year period and cascade further updates soon.
Drug
Pack size
Price concession
Aripiprazole 10mg tablets
28
£16.65
Aripiprazole 15mg tablets
28
£16.77
Benzoyl peroxide 5% / Clindamycin 1% gel
30
£11.90
Clarithromycin 250mg/5ml oral suspension
70
£5.80
Co-amoxiclav 250mg/62mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free
100
£1.99
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg capsules
100
£5.42
Donepezil 5mg tablets
28
£1.50
Dorzolamide 20mg/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops
5
£4.17
Duloxetine 20mg gastro-resistant capsules
28
£7.04
Eplerenone 25mg tablets
28
£6.43
Esomeprazole 40mg gastro-resistant capsules
28
£2.45
Estradiol 10microgram pessaries
24
£9.45
Etoricoxib 30mg tablets
28
£3.04
Ezetimibe 10mg tablets
28
£9.44
Frovatriptan 2.5mg tablets
6
£10.92
Hydrocortisone 10mg tablets
30
£2.13
Lorazepam 500microgram tablets
28
£21.48
Mercaptopurine 50mg tablets
25
£8.77
Metoclopramide 10mg tablets
28
£2.19
Metoprolol 50mg tablets
28
£2.75
Mometasone 50micrograms/dose nasal spray
140
£4.79
Morphine sulfate 10mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules
10
£4.70
Mycophenolate mofetil 500mg tablets
50
£6.47
Ondansetron 4mg tablets
10
£3.14
Paracetamol 500mg effervescent tablets
100
£8.26
Primidone 250mg tablets
100
£86.65
Prochlorperazine 3mg buccal tablets
50
£8.67
Quinine sulfate 300mg tablets
28
£3.95
Rizatriptan 10mg orodispersible tablets sugar free
3
£8.11
Ropinirole 500microgram tablets
28
£15.75
Rosuvastatin 20mg tablets
28
£1.92
Sodium chloride 0.9% nebuliser liquid 2.5ml unit dose ampoules
20
£9.50
Sodium cromoglicate 2% eye drops
13.5
£2.35
Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment
30
£19.16
Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment
60
£38.32
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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