Record concession numbers indicative of volatility in supply chain, warns CPE
This is the second consecutive month in which concessions have reached record highs, after 201 improved prices were announced for March.
This is a concerning trend, reflecting fragility and instability in the medicines supply chain which is being intensified by the ongoing situation in the Middle East.
Community Pharmacy England is deeply concerned about the impact this instability is having on pharmacy owners and their teams as procuring medicines becomes an ever more complex and time-consuming job. This is backed up by our recent Pressures Survey: medicines supply is an ever-worsening challenge.
This month Community Pharmacy England received thousands of reports from pharmacy owners which have been analysed to create evidence for price concessions. Community Pharmacy England has made representations on behalf of pharmacy owners to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and carried out detailed negotiations on these products to secure improved prices.
As a result of our representations, some prices have increased from those initially announced earlier in the month.
Thank you to all pharmacy owners who took time to submit evidence, and please continue to do this using our form here: Report product over Drug Tariff price
Community Pharmacy England continues to argue for fair medicines pricing to support pharmacy owners, and to press Government for wider solutions to the ongoing volatility in the supply chain to protect access to medicines for patients.
James Davies, Director of Research and Insights at Community Pharmacy England, said:
“We have had a record number of price concessions recently, and while these indicate pricing issues rather than necessarily meaning there are medicines shortages, they show that the medicines supply chain is under increasing pressure, which is only likely to get worse in light of the conflict in the Middle East. This pressure is playing out in community pharmacies where teams are spending hours every day trying to get the medicines their patients need. It is also having a financial impact and the underfunding of community pharmacies continues to lead to pharmacy closures, with an average of one pharmacy closing each week in England.”
