January 3rd 2024

By Ailsa Colquhoun

FreeStyle Libre 3 Sensors (Abbott Diabetes Care Ltd) reimbursable but loss-making

DND concession will not apply to dispensing GPs

FreeStyle Libre 3 Sensors (Abbott Diabetes Care Ltd) are now reimbursable, following their addition to Part IXA of the January 2024 Drug Tariff).

Following representation by pharmacy representative Community Pharmacy England (CPE) this sensor has also been added to the Drugs for which Discount is Not Deducted (DND) list (Part II of the Drug Tariff).

The DND concession applies to pharmacies, but not to dispensing GPs; as the FreeStyle Libre 3 Sensor can only be ordered directly from the manufacturer without any discount, this means dispensing GPs will be dispensing this item at a loss.

CPE has published information on eligibility for inclusion in the  ‘DND’ (Discount Not Deducted) list (Part II of the Drug Tariff for England & Wales). This list is updated monthly by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and includes grouped and individual items. Items included under the ‘Group Items’ heading are not listed again individually in Part II.

Group items

• Products on price concession
• Cold Chain Storage (ALL): To qualify, a products’ SPC must state that it requires storage in a refrigerator at 2 – 8°C. Products which require cold-chain storage after re-constitution in the pharmacy are not eligible for the group listing under cold chain storage
• Schedule 2 or 3 Controlled Drugs: Products containing drugs listed in Schedules 2 and 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulation 2001
• Cytotoxic or Cytostatic item (ALL)
• Immunoglobulins (ALL)
• Insulins for injection (ALL)
• Vaccines and antisera (ALL)
• Unlicensed medicines: ‘Specials’ not listed in Part VIIIB where the product has been sourced from a supplier holding a MHRA specials or importers licence (prescriptions must be endorsed with invoice price less discount/rebate)
• Hazardous chemicals.

Individual items

All three of the following criteria must apply for inclusion of a product to the list of ‘Individual Items’
– the manufacturer(s), AAH and Alliance do not offer pharmacy contractors a discount
– fewer than 500,000 items per year are dispensed of the product
– average net ingredient cost (NIC) per item is more than £50.