From 1st March, there is a new addition to the Drug Tariff – Part 8D
Titled – Arrangements for Payments for Specials and Imported Unlicensed Medicines to be Paid Relative to an Identified Pack Size- more information to follow next month.
Additions to Part 2
30 items have been added to Part 2 of the February Drug Tariff, ones which I think you may find of interest are listed below:
Items which fall into part 2 generally have no wholesaler discount and so you would be dispensing at a loss. Therefore, these are items which you may consider sending the prescription to a local pharmacy.
Additions to Part 8a
Only 4 items have been added to Part 8a of the February Drug Tariff. Ones that I think you may find of interest are:
Duloxetine 90mg and 120mg gastro-resistant capsules have both gone into the February Drug Tariff as a Category A item. Both can be purchased well below tariff price so healthy profit margin to be gained.
Paracetamol 1g/100ml solution for infusion vials, pack size of 12 has gone into the Drug Tariff as a Category C items with the reimbursement based on Accord Healthcare Ltd.
Sodium zirconium cyclosilicate 10g oral powder sachets have gone into the February Drug Tariff with the reimbursement based on Lokelm – pack size 3. This is an Astra Zeneca product so only available through AAH.
Previously if any of the items above had been prescribed generically, you would have had to endorse the brand, manufacturer, pack size and price paid in the left-hand column. As the items are now in the Drug Tariff, no endorsement is required.
Additions to Part 8b (arrangements for payments for specials and imported unlicensed medicines)
12 items have been added to Part 8b of the February Drug Tariff, ones which I think you will find of interest are:
Atorvastatin 10mg/5ml oral solution
Lansoprazole 15mg/5ml oral solution and 30mg/5ml oral solution
Tamsulosin 400micrograms/5ml oral solution
However, DDS would advise if you are a dispensary which regularly dispenses specials, it would be wise to check the February addions to Part 8b.
Deletions to Part 8a
5 items have been deleted from the February Drug Tariff, ones which I think you will find of interest are:
Fluticasone 50micrograms/dose / Formoterol 5micrograms/dose breath actuated inhaler CFC free has been deleted from the February Drug Tariff- this is more commonly known as Flutiform K-Haler. This was discontinued in August 2021.
Morphine 30mg + 100mg modified-release granules sachets sugar free, more commonly known as MST have been deleted from the February Drug Tariff. Just to advise this is the granules and not the tablets.
Neomycin 500mg tablets have been removed from the February Drug Tariff, these were also discontinued in August 2021.
Items which have been removed from the Drug Tariff can still be prescribed and dispensed but you will need to endorse the prescription with manufacturer, pack size and price paid.
Other Changes to Part 8a
18 items are listed in ‘Other Changes.
Most of the items have gone from a Category A to a Category C. Some of the reimbursement prices have stayed the same and some have increased. Many of the items in other changes are licenced suspensions.
However, one item which you may find of interest is listed below:
Co-dydramol 30mg/500mg tablets have moved from a Category A with the reimbursement of £10.51 to a Category C with the reimbursement price of £6.82 based on Remedeine Forte. Take care when purchasing this one as some generics are considerably higher than tariff price.
Part 8c Additions
No further additions have been added to part VIIIC for February 2022.