December 2023 Price Concessions 3rd and Final Update
THIS CONTENT HAS NOW EXPIRED
UPDATE 12th January 2024: Improved price for Ezetimibe and further price concessions granted for December 2023
The 3rd price concession update published below on 22 December 2023 is the final update for the month. There are no further price concessions to announce for the month of December. However, Community Pharmacy England has queried some of prices imposed by DHSC and we are currently awaiting their response. If granted, any price adjustments will be notified on our website as soon we receive confirmation from the Department.
During the month of December 2023, Community Pharmacy England also received several reports from pharmacy owners unable to obtain Riluzole 50mg tablets at the published Drug Tariff price. We submitted requests for a price concession, but this was later withdrawn after confirmation from DHSC that, due to the price change mechanism, the actual reimbursement price for Riluzole 50mg tablets (56) had increased to £300.23 for the month of December 2023.
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 final list of price concessions for December 2023. Please note this is the final list for December 2023.
| 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 for December 2023, please visit our webpage: cpe.org.uk/priceconcessions. Please subscribe to our mailing list to receive email updates of any price concessions.
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.
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.
