Part VIII of the Drug Tariff now has 3 sections. Many of you will have noticed that there is now a
new section in the Drug Tariff – Part VIII D.
Part VIII A lists the generic form of many drugs and is divided into Category A, C and M. There
are 134 pages of Part VIII A drugs and their prices.
Category A – Drugs which are readily available but are not prescribed in big enough volume
to be changed to Category M. The prices for Category A drugs are the average of the price
calculated for the pack size listed in the Drug Tariff weighted by the following four manu-
facturers and suppliers; AAH Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Alliance Healthcare (Distribution) Ltd,
Teva UK Ltd and Accord Healthcare Ltd on or before the 8th of the month being reimbursed.
Category C – Drugs which are not readily available as a generic, where the price is based on a
particular ethical product. Endorsement of pack size is only required if more than one pack is listed.
Category M – Drugs which are readily available and prescribed in large volumes. The price is based
on information obtained under the Health Service Products (Provision and Disclosure of Information)
Regulations 2018 whereby all wholesalers’ pricing data is sent to the NHSBSA.
Concession Prices:
Each month lists of concessions are published which reflect the current prices and availability of certain
products. The Concession price of these products is then paid for that particular month only, as the original
drug tariff price reverts back for the following month. Concession prices are normally higher than the Tariff
prices, but occasionally Concession prices may be lower. Throughout the month numerous Concession
prices are published, and sometimes these prices are only published after the end of the month. The
Concession prices need to be signed off by a Minister of Health and the publication of these price lists is
dependant upon the Minister signing them in a timely manner. Please click here for the Drug Tariff
Concessions site.
Part VIII B – Unlicenced Liquids and Creams/Ointments All unlicensed medicines in this Part are listed with a
minimum quantity and corresponding price, which is payable for any amount prescribed up to the minimum
quantity. Unless in a special container, subsequent quantities will be payable at the additional price per ml/g
up to the total quantity prescribed. The price is based on information of manufactured specials or imports
submitted by suppliers that hold a Manufacturer ‘Specials’ Licence or Wholesale Dealer Licence issued by the
Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The price of each product listed in Part VIII B covers the formulations specified and this price will be paid
regardless of how the product was sourced.
It is not necessary to endorse prescription forms for unlicensed medicines listed in Part VIII B other than
with XP £20. If you do not endorse XP £20, you will not get paid the £20 Specials fee.
Part VIII D – Unlicensed Tablets and capsules with a commonly identified pack size
All unlicensed medicines listed in Part VIII D have a pack size and a price which is based on information
submitted by suppliers that hold a Manufacturer ‘Specials’ Licence or Wholesale Dealer Licence as issued
by the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The price of each product listed in Part VIII D covers the formulations specified and this price will be paid
regardless of how the product was sourced.
It is not necessary to endorse prescription forms for unlicensed medicines listed in Part VIII B other than
with XP £20. If you do not endorse XP £20, you will not get paid the £20 Specials fee.
It appears that currently all products in Part VIII D are capsules or tablets. The calculation of reimbursement
would be related the number of tabs/caps dispensed relative to the Tariff price.
Example:
Sucralfate 1g tablets Formulations: STD, CF, FF, LF, PF, SF Pack size: 40 Price: £12072 If only 20 tablets were
dispensed, then you would be reimbursed £ 6036 (minus clawback – unfortunately) For both Part VIII B and D,
Specials companiesdo offer reasonable discounts – shop around.
Payment for all Other Specials and Imported unlicensed medicines
Prescriptions for specials not listed in the Drug Tariff Part VIIIB and Part VIIID will be paid depending on
how the special was sourced and the price endorsed on the prescription form.
Where the unlicensed medicine is manufactured under a Manufacturer ‘Specials’ Licence or Wholesale
Dealer Licence issued by the MHRA, the contractor shall endorse the:
• initials ‘XP £20’ to claim the additional £20 payable for dispensing unlicensed medicines
• pack size from which the order was supplied
• invoice price per pack size from which the product was supplied less discount/rebates
• manufacturer’s/wholesaler’s licence number
• batch number of the unlicensed medicine.
For specials not listed in the Drug Tariff Part VIIIB and Part VIIID, you must stamp, date, initial and endorse the
Certificate of Analysis (COA)/Certificate of Conformity (COC) with the invoice price less discount and
prescriber’s details and retain the COA/COC for 5 years.
For imported unlicensed products not listed in the Drug Tariff Part VIIIB and Part VIIID, you must make
every reasonable effort to obtain a Certificate of Analysis (COA)/Certificate of Conformity (COC) for each
imported product sourced and retain the COA/COC for 5 years.
• Where a COA/COC is available, you must stamp, date, initial and endorse the COA/COC with the invoice
price less discount and prescriber’s details.
• Where a COC/COA is not available, you must stamp, date, initial and endorse the invoice with the invoice
price less discount (where not clearly detailed by the supplier) and the prescriber’s details.
For ALL unlicensed Specials irrespective of whether they are listed in Part VIII B or D or unlisted:
You need to keep and make available for inspection by the Licensing Authority the following records for
minimum of 5 years:
• The source of the special or imported unlicensed product
• The person to whom and the date on which the special or imported unlicensed product was sold or supplied
• The prescriber’s details
• The quantity of each sale or supply
• The batch number of the special
Information supplied by Hexagon6
