Price improvement for Atorvastatin 80mg dispensed in July 2023

Community Pharmacy England has successfully appealed to increase the price concession granted in July 2023 for Atorvastatin 80mg tablets to £3.91 from the previously imposed £3.45.

During the month of July 2023 our Dispensing and Supply Team received an exceptionally high volume of reports from pharmacies unable to obtain Atorvastatin 80mg tablets at the published Drug Tariff price. We submitted a request for a price concession early in the month but, following prolonged discussions, we were unable to reach agreement on a price and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced an imposed concession of £3.45 on 31st July 2023.

Following ongoing concerns expressed by pharmacies that they were not able to purchase at this price, we made further representations to DHSC and were successful in having the concession price for Atorvastatin 80mg tablets revised to £3.91 for prescriptions submitted as dispensed in July 2023. This revised price is high enough to cover the costs being paid by the majority of pharmacy owners who reported to us.

Frustratingly, DHSC would not adjust the concessionary prices for the other two lines we had requested increases for. DHSC informed us the data their team had collected for the month of July – using real time sales and volume data – was not compatible with revising these prices. As well as pushing back on individual lines we are also challenging DHSC on the accuracy and quality of the data used to determine concessionary prices.

Price concessions webinar

While the concessions system is designed to help alleviate the impact of supply or pricing issues on businesses, medicines supply instability remains one of the most serious issues affecting pharmacy businesses, teams and their patients.

Community Pharmacy England will be hosting a webinar on price concessions to help to explain how the concessions system works, the recent improvements to the process and what happens when pharmacy owners report increased prices to us, and to answer your questions and hear further feedback for DHSC. Sign up now to come and talk to Community Pharmacy England Committee Members as well as our Funding and Reimbursement Team on this topic.

Sign up the webinar (note, registration will close at 3pm on the day of the event)

Submit your questions ahead of time by email to dst@cpe.org.uk to help us shape the event.