December 2023 Price Concessions 1st Update

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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 (14/12/2023) announced the following initial 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 first set of agreed concessions but we are waiting to hear back from DHSC on many more lines.

Drug Pack size Price concession
Acamprosate 333mg gastro-resistant tablets 168 £22.76
Aciclovir 800mg tablets 35 £3.60
Amiloride 5mg tablets 28 £15.70
Amisulpride 100mg tablets 60 £17.50
Amisulpride 200mg tablets 60 £30.96
Atorvastatin 10mg tablets 28 £1.11
Atorvastatin 20mg tablets 28 £1.30
Atorvastatin 40mg tablets 28 £1.49
Atorvastatin 80mg tablets 28 £3.30
Beclometasone 50micrograms/dose nasal spray 200 £2.63
Benzoyl peroxide 5% / Clindamycin 1% gel 60 £22.15
Betahistine 16mg tablets 84 £8.34
Betahistine 8mg tablets 84 £3.62
Betamethasone valerate 0.1% cream 100 £4.05
Bimatoprost 100micrograms/ml eye drops 3 £4.48
Bimatoprost 300micrograms/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops 3 £4.58
Brinzolamide 10mg/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops 5 £9.52
Brinzolamide 10mg/ml eye drops 5 £4.65
Bumetanide 1mg tablets 28 £2.78
Calcipotriol 0.005% / Betamethasone dipropionate 0.05% ointment 30 £9.60
Carvedilol 6.25mg tablets 28 £1.29
Chloramphenicol 1% eye ointment 4 £4.69
Clotrimazole 1% cream 20 £1.77
Clotrimazole 1% cream 50 £4.52
Clotrimazole 500mg pessaries 1 £9.95
Co-amilozide 5mg/50mg tablets 28 £10.08
Co-amoxiclav 500mg/125mg tablets 21 £4.38
Co-codamol 15mg/500mg tablets 100 £3.29
Codeine 30mg tablets 28 £1.08
Codeine 30mg tablets 100 £3.86
Cyclizine 50mg tablets 100 £4.35
Dexamfetamine 5mg tablets 28 £22.85
Docusate 50mg/5ml oral solution sugar free 300 £18.32
Dorzolamide 20mg/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops 0.2ml unit dose preservative free 60 £25.03
Eplerenone 50mg tablets 28 £4.01
Etoricoxib 60mg tablets 28 £3.40
Flecainide 100mg tablets 60 £3.25
Glycopyrronium bromide 200micrograms/1ml solution for injection ampoules 10 £13.32
Haloperidol 1.5mg tablets 28 £3.15
Hydroxocobalamin 1mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules 5 £11.89
Isotretinoin 20mg capsules 30 £11.21
Lamotrigine 200mg tablets 56 £5.74
Lamotrigine 25mg tablets 56 £1.95
Lamotrigine 50mg tablets 56 £3.48
Lamotrigine 5mg dispersible tablets sugar free 28 £10.05
Lansoprazole 30mg gastro-resistant capsules 28 £1.29
Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops 2.5 £3.57
Letrozole 2.5mg tablets 14 £2.41
Levetiracetam 100mg/ml oral solution sugar free 300 £10.01
Lofepramine 70mg tablets 56 £14.25
Mebeverine 200mg modified-release capsules 60 £6.01
Methylphenidate 10mg tablets 30 £2.99
Midazolam 10mg/2ml solution for injection ampoules 10 £5.32
Mometasone 0.1% ointment 30 £4.38
Orlistat 120mg capsules 84 £25.36
Pantoprazole 20mg gastro-resistant tablets 28 £2.19
Pantoprazole 40mg gastro-resistant tablets 28 £2.70
Pregabalin 225mg capsules 56 £2.56
Prochlorperazine 5mg tablets 28 £1.99
Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets 56 £17.26
Risperidone 500microgram tablets 20 £2.98
Ropinirole 250microgram tablets 12 £6.15
Ropinirole 2mg tablets 28 £21.73
Rosuvastatin 10mg tablets 28 £1.21
Rosuvastatin 40mg tablets 28 £1.75
Telmisartan 20mg tablets 28 £3.45
Terbinafine 1% cream 15 £3.19
Terbinafine 1% cream 30 £7.09
Timolol 0.25% eye drops 5 £1.85
Warfarin 1mg tablets 28 £0.80
Warfarin 3mg tablets 28 £0.84
Warfarin 5mg tablets 28 £1.75
Zolmitriptan 2.5mg orodispersible tablets sugar free 6 £17.52
Zolmitriptan 2.5mg tablets 6 £16.45
Zolmitriptan 2.5mg tablets 12 £32.90
Zopiclone 3.75mg tablets 28 £1.55
Zopiclone 7.5mg tablets 28 £1.60

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.

How concerned are you about your pharmacy business going into this winter, and what impact might there be on your patients?

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