Third month of record price concessions
The list of price concessions granted for May 2026 currently includes 219 lines*. With a few more lines still being discussed, this already surpasses the number of price concessions granted in the previous two record-breaking months.
Third month of record drug price concessions | Chemist+Druggist
*UPDATE: The final figure for May 2026 was 230 price concessions.
The continuation of this concerning trend is putting more pressure on pharmacy owners and their teams as procuring medicines becomes an ever more complex and time-consuming job.
Community Pharmacy England has once again analysed thousands of reports to compile evidence and make representations on behalf of pharmacy owners to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), carrying out detailed negotiations on these products to secure improved prices.
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
Pharmacy teams are reminded of the following tools and resources to support you in manging medicines supply issues:
- Make use of the Medicines Supply Tool: This tool on the Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS) website has the latest information on supply issues, actions to take, alternatives to use, and expected resolution dates. (Note: to view SPS resources, registration with an NHS email is required.)
- Fill in the Shortages Reporting Form: If a drug shortage does not yet appear on the SPS Medicines Supply Tool, report it to Community Pharmacy England using our online form. These reports are shared with DHSC’s Medicines Supply Team for further investigation.
- Visit our Medicines Supply Resources page: This page provides a number of patient-facing materials to help explain why certain medications may be unavailable and manage expectations during stock shortages.
A Community Pharmacy England spokesperson said:
“May will be the third month in a row to see a record number of price concessions granted, and the third time in 2026 in which more than 200 concessions have been granted in a month. We are very concerned about this milestone, and about the impact that instability in the medicines supply market is having on community pharmacies – from both workload and financial perspectives. Community Pharmacy England is continuing to push for fair medicines pricing to support pharmacy owners in the short-term: community pharmacies must be able to source medicines quickly, and they must not be expected to make financial losses when supplying them. We continue to press Government for wider solutions to the ongoing volatility in the supply chain to protect pharmacies from further financial shocks, and patients from further disruption.”
