March 2024 Price Concessions 3rd and Final Update

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Update 2nd April 2024:

The 3rd price concession update published below on 28 March 2024 is the final update for March. There are no further price concessions to announce.


 

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 (28/03/2024) announced the following list of price concessions for March 2024:

Drug Pack size Price concession
Amoxicillin 250mg/5ml oral suspension 100 £2.49
Aripiprazole 5mg tablets 28 £5.64
Benzylpenicillin 600mg powder for solution for injection vials 2 £6.01
Betahistine 16mg tablets 84 £7.78
Calcipotriol 0.005% / Betamethasone dipropionate 0.05% ointment 30 £11.58
Cefalexin 500mg capsules 21 £2.50
Cefalexin 500mg tablets 21 £2.39
Chlorphenamine 2mg/5ml oral solution sugar free 150 £3.24
Cinacalcet 30mg tablets 28 £9.58
Clarithromycin 500mg tablets 14 £6.26
Clobazam 10mg tablets 30 £4.71
Co-amoxiclav 500mg/125mg tablets 21 £3.54
Co-careldopa 25mg/100mg tablets 100 £9.02
Co-codamol 30mg/500mg capsules 100 £5.63
Codeine 15mg/5ml linctus 200 £2.75
Dorzolamide 20mg/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops 5 £3.96
Duloxetine 30mg gastro-resistant capsules 28 £2.04
Estriol 1mg/g vaginal cream 15 £5.45
Etoricoxib 30mg tablets 28 £5.32
Famotidine 20mg tablets 28 £17.55
Famotidine 40mg tablets 28 £28.23
Glycopyrronium bromide 200micrograms/1ml solution for injection ampoules 10 £8.58
Hydrocortisone 1% cream 15 £2.36
Hydroxocobalamin 1mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules 5 £10.84
Ispaghula husk 3.5g effervescent granules sachets gluten free sugar free 30 £6.99
Ketoconazole 2% shampoo 120 £19.40
Lactulose 3.1-3.7g/5ml oral solution 500 £3.13
Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops 2.5 £7.48
Levothyroxine sodium 12.5microgram tablets 28 £17.57
Lofepramine 70mg tablets 56 £19.20
Mercaptopurine 50mg tablets 25 £8.62
Metoclopramide 10mg tablets 28 £1.09
Mometasone 0.1% cream 30 £3.88
Ondansetron 4mg tablets 10 £5.79
Pregabalin 300mg capsules 56 £3.08
Pregabalin 50mg capsules 84 £4.75
Prochlorperazine 3mg buccal tablets 50 £8.47
Promethazine hydrochloride 10mg tablets 56 £13.44
Propantheline bromide 15mg tablets 112 £100.61
Pyridostigmine bromide 60mg tablets 200 £19.33
Quetiapine 200mg tablets 60 £3.79
Quinine sulfate 200mg tablets 28 £7.65
Rasagiline 1mg tablets 28 £42.70
Rizatriptan 10mg tablets 3 £5.29
Sodium chloride 0.9% nebuliser liquid 2.5ml unit dose ampoules 20 £9.50
Sulpiride 200mg/5ml oral solution sugar free 150 £98.50
Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment 30 £15.59
Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment 60 £31.17
Tamsulosin 400microgram / Dutasteride 500microgram capsules 30 £14.83
Temazepam 10mg tablets 28 £24.75
Ursodeoxycholic acid 150mg tablets 60 £36.77
Zonisamide 100mg capsules 56 £20.28

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.

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.

In May 2023, DHSC implemented a process to roll over to the following month any agreed prices for concessions requested on or after the 23rd of the month.

Furthermore, from April 2024, a new retrospective top-up payment system will apply to products granted very low concessionary prices by DHSC when compared to the average purchase prices identified via the Margins survey. Further information on the top-up mechanism can be found here.

Learn more about how the plan is being developed, discover opportunities to have your say, and hear how Community Pharmacy England is responding on behalf of the sector.

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