Autumn brings renewed pressures on medicines supply
Pharmacy owners are facing renewed pressure from medicines supply disruption and rising purchase prices, with 248* products granted a price concession for September 2026 and further requests still under consideration by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), meaning the previous record of 257 set in June could be surpassed.
*UPDATE: The final list of price concessions for September reached 268.
The total remains significant and includes high-volume, commonly prescribed treatments for hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, antibiotics for infections, and more. It takes time for DHSC to consider and announce decisions on so many products. This leaves pharmacy owners unsure whether a concession will be granted. It increases the risk that pharmacy owners will need to purchase medicines without knowing the price they will be reimbursed, adding further strain to already stretched businesses.
These issues mean pharmacy teams, despite their best efforts, are continuing to spend time considerable sourcing stock, managing prescriptions and explaining delays or alternatives to patients and prescribers.
Community Pharmacy England continues to raise the impact of low Drug Tariff prices and pharmacies having to subsidise the NHS with Ministers. We are also calling for a more resilient medicines supply chain, a more effective medicines margin framework and a fundamental review of the reimbursement model. Fair reimbursement when market prices rise unexpectedly is essential both to protect pharmacy businesses and to safeguard patients’ access to medicines.
Price concessions webinar
We are arranging a webinar on Thursday 15th October at 7pm for pharmacy owners to discuss price concessions and medicines supply issues with us. The online session will explain current market pressures, what happens after an above-Tariff report is submitted, how concession prices are reached, and the improvements being sought from Government.
Participants will also be able to raise concerns and share feedback that can be taken into discussions with DHSC.
Book your place now (note, registration will close at 2pm on the day of the event)
Dr. James Davies, Director of Research and Insights at Community Pharmacy England, said:
“Pharmacy owners and their teams know only too well the disruption caused when purchase prices rise and concession decisions remain outstanding. They are left sourcing medicines in a volatile market without certainty that their costs will be covered, while also managing the impact on patients. We need a reimbursement system that responds more quickly and fairly to real market conditions, alongside decisive action to improve medicines supply resilience. In the meantime, every above-Tariff price report strengthens the evidence we can take to Government, and our forthcoming webinar will give pharmacy teams a further opportunity to share their experiences and hear how we are pressing for change.”
Support for managing pricing and supply problems
- Use our online reporting form to report products priced above the Drug Tariff. Your reports help demonstrate the scale of the problem, informing detailed negotiations on individual concession requests.
- Check the SPS Medicines Supply Tool for the latest information on supply issues, recommended actions, alternatives and expected resolution dates. Access requires registration with an NHS email address.
- Use the Shortages Reporting Form when a shortage does not yet appear on the SPS tool. Reports are shared with DHSC’s Medicines Supply Team for investigation.
- Visit our Medicines Supply Resources page and the SPS website for materials to help explain supply problems to patients and prescribers.
