October 6th 2023

By Ailsa Colquhoun

Looking after your dispensary's finances

Hints and Tips from the DDA 2023 Conference

DDA Conference presentation, Looking After Your Dispensary – Hints And Tips, tackled key dispensary finance such as serious shortages protocols (SSPs), concessions, generics costing more than tariff, wrong movement prescription charges and flu jab financials.

With a focus on profitability, the presentation by DDA conference lead Dr Philip Koopowitz (speaking in a personal capacity) explained the financial implications of drug wrong group movements and HRT and Pre Payment-Certificates (PPCs) for practices in England. There was also information on concessions/adjusted prices, generics and flu jabs, including discount availability.

Dr Koopowitz’s presentation also noted that at the beginning of each month about 200 generics will incur a loss as the acquisition costs are higher than the reimbursement from NHSBSA. However, practices should note that around 100 and 150 items change price each month – notified to practices as concession or adjusted prices - often very late in the month (and sometimes after).

Concessions and adjusted prices are published regularly by the DDA in the member only library of drug tariff updates. Keeping up to date with these tariff updates will allow practices to cut down on endorsements to protect profitability.  Where a price is not subject to concession or adjustment, the presentation gave important endorsing advice.

Finally, the presentation looked at fees and discounts available for flu jabs.

View the presentation: Looking After Your Dispensary – Hints And Tips.