Following discussions between Community Pharmacy England and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) regarding medicine pricing issues reported by pharmacy owners (our members), the Department has today (22/06/2023) announced the following list of price concessions for June 2023:

Drug
Pack size
Price concession
Amisulpride 50mg tablets
60
£12.34
Atorvastatin 20mg tablets
28
£1.56
Brinzolamide 10mg/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops
5
£7.57
Chlorpromazine 100mg tablets
28
£24.95
Chlorpromazine 25mg tablets
28
£23.76
Clarithromycin 250mg/5ml oral suspension
70
£5.27
Clotrimazole 1% cream
50
£3.99
Enalapril 2.5mg tablets
28
£8.04
Gabapentin 600mg tablets
100
£17.74
Isotretinoin 20mg capsules
30
£12.25
Itraconazole 100mg capsules
15
£11.50
Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml eye drops
2.5
£2.24
Losartan 100mg tablets
28
£1.33
Metoprolol 50mg tablets
28
£2.60
Montelukast 10mg tablets
28
£1.50
Ondansetron 4mg tablets
10
£7.10
Oxycodone 5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free
250
£12.00
Pizotifen 1.5mg tablets
28
£2.09
Quetiapine 25mg tablets
60
£1.54
Ropinirole 250microgram tablets
12
£6.70
Spironolactone 50mg tablets
28
£3.81
Trospium chloride 20mg tablets
60
£12.06
Valaciclovir 500mg tablets
10
£20.59
Zolmitriptan 2.5mg orodispersible tablets sugar free
6
£20.69

For the full list of price concessions granted so far for June 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 our members 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.

Members can 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 webinar  here.

Improvements to the price concession system

Following significant concerns raised by our members 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 our members 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’ my apply, when appropriate. Further information regarding this concession ‘top-up’ mechanism will be issued once details are finalised.

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