Additions to Part 2
9 items have been added to Part 2 of the March 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
10 items have been added to Part 8a of the March Drug Tariff. Ones that I think you may find of interest are:
Ivermectin 10mg/g cream, pack size 45g has gone into the March Drug Tariff with a reimbursement price of £27.43. based on Soolantra. If you refer back to the February Newsletter, one of the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ was someone who had received a prescription for Ivermectin 30g. DDS advised at that point that 30g had been discontinued and the prescribe the brand of Soolantra. As this has now gone into the tariff at 45g, this can be prescribed branded or generically.
Paracetamol 500mg / Pseudoephedrine hydrochloride 30mg tablets, pack size of 15. This has gone into the March Drug tariff with a list price of £3.46 based on Sinutab non-drowsy. Available through Alliance and AAH only – currently offering a significant discount.
Paroxetine 40mg tablets have been added to the Drug Tariff as a Category A – pack size 30. Pack size 28 has been removed.
Rivaroxaban 1mg/ml oral suspension sugar free, pack size 250ml has been added to the March Drug Tariff with the reimbursement price based on Xarelto. This can only be purchased through Alliance and is currently attracting a 1.5% discount. Please note this item has special container rules.
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
9 items have been deleted from the March Drug Tariff, ones which I think you will find of interest are:
Glucosamine sulfate 1.5g tablets, pack size 30 – more commonly known as Dolenio has been removed from the March Drug Tariff. This was discontinued in September 2021.
Hypromellose 0.3% / Dextran ’70’ 0.1% eye drops and the 0.4ml unit dose preservative free have both been removed from the Drug Tariff. These were more commonly known as Tears Naturale. Both were discontinued in September 2021
Ivermectin 10mg/g cream pack size 30g has been removed from the March Drug Tariff – see additions above (45g has been added).
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
12 items are listed in ‘Other Changes. Like last month, many of the items are licenced suspensions which were sitting as a Cat A and there was some profit margin available are now a Cat C with the reimbursement price based on Rosemont Pharmaceuticals. Rosemont Pharmaceuticals are available through Alliance and PSUK but offering zero wholesaler discount.
Listed below are some solutions which you may find of interest
Mirtazapine 15mg/ml oral solution sugar free
Omeprazole 10mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free
Simvastatin 20mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free
Warfarin 1mg/ml oral suspension sugar free
Part 8c Additions
No further additions have been added to part VIIIC for March 2022.
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.
From 1st March the English and Welsh Drug Tariff now has the new section – Part 8D. Part 8D sets out payments for specials (mainly tablets and capsules) to be paid relative to a commonly identified pack size. 47 items have been added so far and the reimbursement price will be a fixed price. Dispensing doctors should note that the OOP endorsement is XP£20 –which is the same as the endorsement for part 8B specials.
Specials currently listed in Part VIIIB of the Tariff are restricted to manufactured non-solid dosage forms (for example liquids, creams, ointments and lotions etc) which, except for products classed as special containers, are reimbursed based on a price per unit above a minimum quantity. In comparison, majority of the specials listed in Part VIIID will be unlicensed medicines (mainly unlicensed tablets and capsules), with reimbursement prices calculated relative to commonly identified pack sizes. The pack size listings are to support Broken Bulk claims which will be permitted for specials (except those classed as special containers) listed in Part VIIID from March 2022. Please note: Broken Bulk CANNOT be claimed for any specials listed in Part VIIIB of the Tariff or for any non-Tariff special.
Below is a link to the PSNC briefing paper which explains Part 8D in more detail.
https://psnc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/PSNC-Briefing-005.22-Part-VIIID-Briefing-2.pdf
Reference PSNC