March 27th 2026

By Ailsa Colquhoun

Q1 2026-27 Cat M adjustment increases 380 prices

DHSC has published the Category M adjustment for quarter one of 2026-27, effective from April 1.

Changes reflect:

• Adjustments for underlying market price movements during the quarter October-December 2025
• An upwards adjustment to medicine margin by £20 million per quarter, not pre-empting that a decision is yet to be made on the medicine margin arrangements as part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework for 2026/27.

There are five additions, bringing the total number of lines in Category M to 619. 

In summary:

• 10 products are more than doubled in price. In total, 380 prices are increased.
• Some 206 prices are decreased.  

DDA members can view the prices, with price history, and sorted by price, price change and percentage price change by visiting the member only online library of Category M Updates