February 2024 Price Concessions 3rd 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 (23/02/2024) announced the following list of price concessions for February 2024.
Please note: We are still in discussion with DHSC on a number other medicines affected by pricing issues this month. We will issue further updates as soon as we hear back from the Department.
| Drug | Pack size | Price concession |
| Amiodarone 200mg tablets | 28 | £1.83 |
| Amisulpride 100mg tablets | 60 | £18.21 |
| Anastrozole 1mg tablets | 28 | £1.54 |
| Cefalexin 500mg tablets | 21 | £2.39 |
| Chlorphenamine 2mg/5ml oral solution sugar free | 150 | £3.24 |
| Clotrimazole 1% cream | 20 | £1.77 |
| Colecalciferol 1,000unit capsules | 30 | £8.74 |
| Co-codamol 30mg/500mg capsules | 100 | £6.27 |
| Hydrocortisone 10mg tablets | 30 | £2.05 |
| Ispaghula husk 3.5g effervescent granules sachets gluten free sugar free | 30 | £6.99 |
| Ketoconazole 2% shampoo | 120 | £19.40 |
| Nortriptyline 10mg tablets | 100 | £2.19 |
| Rosuvastatin 20mg tablets | 28 | £1.80 |
| Salbutamol 2.5mg/2.5ml nebuliser liquid unit dose vials | 20 | £15.21 |
| Sodium fluoride 1.1% dental paste sugar free | 51 | £5.40 |
| Zonisamide 50mg capsules | 56 | £14.58 |
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.
