November 2023 Price Concessions 2nd 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 (24/11/2023) announced the following list of price concessions for November 2023.
| Drug | Pack size | Price concession |
| Benzoyl peroxide 5% / Clindamycin 1% gel | 60 | £22.15 |
| Clotrimazole 1% cream | 50 | £3.95 |
| Co-codamol 15mg/500mg tablets | 100 | £2.83 |
| Cyclizine 50mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules | 5 | £6.05 |
| Dorzolamide 20mg/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops 0.2ml unit dose preservative free | 60 | £25.78 |
| Glycopyrronium bromide 200micrograms/1ml solution for injection ampoules | 10 | £9.93 |
| Lamotrigine 5mg dispersible tablets sugar free | 28 | £9.68 |
| Letrozole 2.5mg tablets | 14 | £2.51 |
| Lofepramine 70mg tablets | 56 | £14.49 |
| Ondansetron 4mg tablets | 10 | £7.09 |
| Orlistat 120mg capsules | 84 | £24.97 |
| Pregabalin 225mg capsules | 56 | £2.60 |
| Prochlorperazine 3mg buccal tablets | 50 | £7.68 |
| Rasagiline 1mg tablets | 28 | £16.56 |
| Rizatriptan 10mg orodispersible tablets sugar free | 3 | £7.75 |
| Ropinirole 250microgram tablets | 12 | £6.15 |
| Sodium cromoglicate 2% eye drops | 13.5 | £2.41 |
| Terbinafine 1% cream | 30 | £6.56 |
For the full list of price concessions granted so far for November 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. We are still working with the DHSC to agree concessionary prices for other drugs reported to be unavailable at the stated October Drug Tariff price. Please note that we cannot provide details of any generic products awaiting price concession approval from 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.
