Drug Tariff News

28th November 2022 - Source: Amanda Chell

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The DHSC has published the Q3 (Oct 22) Category M adjustment.

368 Category M items increased in price and 267 items went down in price.

There are also six additions and two deletions, bringing the total number of lines in Category M to 669.

The additions are:

Drug                                                               Pack size                               Reimbursement price

Cinacalcet 30mg tablets,                             28                                          £9.11

Clonazepam 500mcg tablets                     100                                         £27.15

Clonazepam 2mg tablets                            100                                         £28.92

Colecalciferol 1,000 capsules                    30                                            £5.30

Docusate 50mg/5ml oral solution S/F      300                                         £16.86

Etoricoxib 30mg tablets                               28                                            £3.33

The deletions are:

Fluticasone propionate 50mcg/dose nasal spray x 150

Propranolol 160mg modified release capsules x 28

Reference DDA website

Additions to Part 2

23 items have been added to Part 2 of the October Drug Tariff – ones which I think you may find of interest are:

• Rivaroxaban – all strengths
• Vimpat 100mg tablets
• Hydrocortisone M/R capsules (ALL)

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

5 items have been added to Part 8a of the October Drug Tariff, ones which I think you will fine of interest are:

• Buprenorphine 8mg / Naloxone 2mg sublingual films sugar free have gone into the October Drug tariff, pack size 28 with the reimbursement price based on Suboxone.
• Calcipotriol 0.005% / Betamethasone dipropionate 0.05% cream has gone into the Drug Tariff, pack size 60g and the reimbursement price is based on Wynzora.
• Hydrocortisone 10mg + 5mg modified release capsules have also gone into the Drug Tariff as a category C with the reimbursement price based on Efmody

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

8 items have been deleted from the October Drug Tariff- items which you may find of interest are listed below:

• Felbinac 3% gel- 30g and 100g, more commonly known as Traxam gel were both discontinued in April 2022
• Fluocinolone acetonide 0.025% / Clioquinol 3% cream more commonly known as Synalar C was also discontinued in April 2022.
• Varenicline 500mg+ 1mg tablets and also the titration pack (Champix) – again discontinued in April 2022.

Items which have been removed from the Drug Tariff part 8A 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

23 items are listed in ‘Other Changes, DDS would suggest checking all the changes but the ones which I think you will find of interest are:

• Cinacalcet 30mg tablets have gone from a Category A to a Category M and the reimbursement price has dropped from £25.49 to £9.11. Please take care when ordering as the item is currently a generic above tariff.
• Colecalciferol 1,000unit capsules has moved from a Category C with a reimbursement price of £10.00 and is now a Category M with the reimbursement price of £5.30. Again, take care with purchasing as this item is over tariff price with some wholesalers.
• Fluticasone propionate 50micrograms/dose nasal spray has moved back up the Drug Tariff. This was a category M item with a reimbursement price of £14.86 and is now back to a Category C with the reimbursement price based on Flixonase at £11.01. This can still be purchased around £5 – £6.00.

 

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