The Price Change Mechanism is an agreed system that changes the reimbursement price of drugs due to changing market prices.
If the drug is:
- propriety and the indicative price changed on or before the eighth of the month, the reimbursement price will change for prescriptions dispensed in the following month
- propriety and the indicative price changed after the eighth of the month, the reimbursement price will be changed for prescriptions dispensed the month after the following month
- generic and the indicative price changed on or before the eighth of the month, the reimbursement price will change for prescriptions dispensed in the same month
- generic and the indicative price changed after the eighth of the month, the reimbursement price will be changed for prescriptions dispensed in the following month
This is intended to consider pharmacies having stock of certain products already on their shelves when a price change is first introduced.
Community Pharmacy England keeps the proprietary and non-proprietary price change mechanisms under close review.
Read more information on how the price change mechanism works on Community Pharmacy England website.