Why reimbursement can move
Medicine market conditions can move faster than a static monthly workflow. NHSBSA publishes Drug Tariff updates and may publish redeterminations of product pricing. In 2026, NHSBSA has published multiple notices of product-pricing redeterminations, illustrating why procurement analysis should not treat reimbursement as permanently fixed.
Official source: NHSBSA contractor news and Drug Tariff updates.
What this means for a dispensing practice
A supplier price checked today and a reimbursement value loaded weeks earlier may not form a reliable margin comparison. Systems should be able to state which reimbursement period and update produced the figure being used.
A safer comparison model
- store the dispensing month;
- store the reimbursement source and publication/update date;
- keep supplier acquisition price as a separate field;
- record when the supplier price was observed;
- recalculate affected comparisons when an official reimbursement value changes.
How PharmShop uses concessions
PharmShop loads the current non-superseded concession data into its reimbursement layer. When a matching concession exists for the dispensing month, the concession value replaces the basic tariff price before the practice clawback rate is applied.
What users see in PharmShop
- the reimbursement source for each matched product;
- the gross reimbursement value per pack;
- net reimbursement after the configured clawback rate;
- supplier acquisition prices beside projected margin;
- a clear concession indicator when the concession price is active.
The authenticated workspace also includes a searchable current-concessions page, so reimbursement changes are visible without maintaining a separate spreadsheet.
Bring the decision into one workflow
PharmShop is being built to connect medicine identity, reimbursement context, supplier results and purchasing decisions without losing the evidence underneath.
Open PharmShop