Drug Tariff News

7th January 2022 - Source: Amanda Chell


Additions to Part 2

23 items have been added to Part 2 of the December Drug Tariff, ones which I think you may find of interest are listed below:

  • Arava 10mg + 20mg tablets
  • DDAVP 0.1mg tablets
  • Melatonin 5mg modified-release tablets

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 6 items have been added to Part 8a of the December Drug Tariff. Ones that I think you may find of interest are:

Methocarbamol 1500mg tablets, pack of 100 has gone into the Drug Tariff as a Category A and the reimbursement price is £25.13.

Ulipristal 5mg tablets, pack of 28- has gone into the Drug Tariff as a Category C item with a reimbursement price of £114.13, based on Esmya. This item is also a part 2 item, so potentially no wholesaler discount!

Urofollitropin 150unit powder and solvent for solution for injection vials, pack size 10. Has gone into the Drug Tariff with the reimbursement of  £558.00, based on   Fostimon. This is also a part 2 item so again, probably no wholesaler discount.

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.

Deletions to Part 8A

Only 4 items have been deleted from the December Drug Tariff and these are:

Dexamethasone 0.1% eye drops pack size 10 ml (more commonly known as Maxidex) has been removed from the December Drug Tariff, however the 5ml still remains as does the Dexamethasone 0.1% eye drops 0.4ml unit dose preservative free- both are still listed in part 8a of the Drug Tariff.  The 10ml Maxidex was discontinued in May 2021.

Prazosin 1mg tablets, previously known as Hypovase has been removed from the December Drug Tariff. This was discontinued in June 2021.

Tazarotene 0.05% gel and 0.1% gel, more commonly known as Zorac has been removed from the December Drug Tariff, this  was discontinued in May 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

Only 4 items are listed in ‘Other Changes, the ones that I think you would find of interest are listed below:

Levomepromazine 25mg tablets have moved from a Category C with the reimbursement price based on Nozinan to a Category A. The reimbursement price currently has stayed the same at £20.26. Please use caution when purchasing this one as the generic price can range from £15.34 – £20+. The brand is available at £18.74.

Senna 7.5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free, now reads Sennosides 7.5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free. It is still listed as a Category C with the reimbursement price based on Senokot Pharmacy. You will need to ensure that your prescriptions are either written as Sennosides or Senokot or the prescription will be returned from Prescription services.

Propranolol 160mg modified release capsules have moved from a Category A with the reimbursement price at £4.88 is now listed as a Category C with the reimbursement price based on Bedranol SR. The reimbursement price has dropped slightly to £4.59. This can be purchased for as little as £2.00.

Part VIIIC Additions

No further additions have been added to part VIIIC for November 2021.