August Changes:
Additions:
Of interest are 2 entries for what were Special Order items and now have proprietary/ generic prices – watch you’re not paying more than the new list price:
Co-codamol 30/500mg / 5ml Oral Soln SF 150ml £11.99 Cat A
Solifenacin 5mg/5ml Oral Soln SF 150ml £28.81 Cat A
Some new Appliances have been added to Part 9:
Page 487 onwards – new Eye Drop brand names:
AddTear UDV preservative free
Eyeaze 10ml bottle preservative free
Moistueyes 5g tube preservative free
These may be asked for from your patients via opticians and appear to offer reasonable value prices.
Deletions:
Aminophylline hydrate 225mg MR Tabs 56 – Phyllocontin Continus
Paracetamol 120mg/5ml Oral Suspension Paed 500ml – Cat A generic – Note NOT Sugar Free
Other Changes:
Big news in the Asthma / COPD category:
Beclometasone 100mcg/dose Formoterol 6mcg/dose CFC free inhaler – 120 dose
This is still Category C with a price of £29.32 – matching the Original Brand Fostair, however the “Reference Brand Name” has been removed. This indicates that there is at least one other branded generic or generic available in the open market from 1st August 2021.
The new product is Luforbec Inhaler from Lupin Healthcare and we believe the list price for this will be £23.45.
Our Recommendation:
Stick to prescribing by brand name where possible and watch this space for future details on the price and discounts available to Dispensing Practices. Chiesi who produce Fostair have been a long-term supporter of Dispensing Practices and still have an excellent Discount Scheme for Fostair.
Advance Notice for September:
Additions:
Some low turnover and new strength preparations have been added to Part 8A for generic descriptions:
Carbocisteine 750mg Capsules 60 pack Cat C Based on Brown & Burk price
Colecalciferol 10,000 IU Caps 20 Cat C Based on Alissa Healthcare
Metformin 1g Tablets 28 Cat C Based on Rx Farma
This shows an increasing trend in new generic strengths that could be considered for individual patients to help reduce the number of tablets or capsules being taken each day and to improve compliance.
Deletions
Only of interest really is the higher strength of Phyllocontin Forte Continus:
Aminophylline hydrate 350mg MR Tabs – discontinued by manufacturer
Other Changes:
These may be lower turnover products but if you do have them in stock – Watch the Prices! – you may lose out after 1st September:
Cabergoline 500mcg tabs 8 Cat A – moving to Cat C based on Teva price
(Special Container)
Liothyronine 5mcg tabs 28 Cat C – moving to Cat A (High price of £98 atm)
Pregabalin 20mg/ml Oral Soln SF 473ml Cat C as Lyrica price now – moving to Cat A
Our Recommendation:
Check your stock of these products – should be low anyway – but reduce stock levels before end August and watch Drug Tariff and Wholesaler prices at the end of August
