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.
