Specials Tariff
In November 2011, the Department for Health announced the introduction of a new section of the Drug Tariff, Part VIIIB which covers a number of unlicensed "special" medicines. This tariff price is the reimbursement price that the pharmacists will be paid for that particular special, regardless of the amount they paid. Out of pocket expenses can still be claimed on unlicensed specials and imports, although the way they are claimed has changed.
Further details of this new drug tariff along with a FAQ document and an endorsement guide can be found on the PSNC website, http://www.psnc.org.uk/news.php/1163/reminder_unlicensed_specials_and_imports_guidance
Special Products Ltd (SPL), as one of the UK's major suppliers of pharmaceutical specials, has always offered value for money specials for hospital and retail pharmacies. Our pricing structure is available to any pharmacist wishing to purchase direct from us. SPL welcomes the introduction of this drug tariff for unlicensed specials as it will ensure that costs are controlled in this sector of NHS reimbursement.
Part VIIIB Products
All of SPL products are manufactured under a Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Manufacturer's Specials Licence (MS).
Reimbursement of non-Part VIIIB Specials purchased from SPL
If a special is not listed in Part VIIIB the pharmacies will be reimbursed as before the November 1st directive.
Out of Pocket Expenses
As SPL products are manufactured under an MS licence, a payment of "out of pocket" expenses is made on reimbursement. This can be claimed by endorsing the prescription with SP (and not XP) rather than via FP34C. This currently stands at £20, which is the total the pharmacy will be paid regardless of how much the pharmacy paid in out of pocket expenses. These claims should not be listed on the FP34C.
An example of what needs to be put onto the prescription is shown below :
Products Listed in Part VIIIB
"SP" should be endorsed to claim the agreed fixed fee for sourcing the
product from the supplier.
Product not in Part VIIIB
The invoice price, MS licence number, Batch Number and "SP" should
be endorsed to claim the agreed fixed fee for sourcing the product.
Record Keeping
Pharmacies will need to keep a record of prescriber details, which should be available for the Primary Care Organisation (PCO) of the pharmacy and the prescriber to inspect.
For specials not listed within Part VIIIB, at the end of every month, pharmacies will need to send a copy of the Certificate of Analysis (CoA) or Certificate of Conformity (CoC) to the Primary Care Trust of the prescriber along with the details of the prescriber. The original should be kept by the pharmacy for five years. For prescriptions received in England or Wales that originated in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales a copy does not need to be sent to the PCO.
In all cases, the CoA or CoC should be stamped, dated, initialled and endorsed with price paid and the prescriber's details.