News Specials Tariff Implementation 1 November 2011 The Department of Health will implement new arrangements for the reimbursement of "Specials" with effect from 1st November 2011. The DH has identified some of the more popular specials - mostly oral solutions/suspensions - to which tariff prices will be applied. New reimbursement arrangements will also be applied to non-tariff items. The new Specials Tariff is published as Part VIIIB of the November edition of the Drug Tariff http://www.ppa.org.uk/edt/November_2011_2/mindex.htm The NHS Business Services Authority has released a "Q&A" document regarding the new reimbursement arrangements. The product list and Q&A document can be accessed via the NHSBSA website http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/3473.aspx We understand how the sector intervention will be a matter of deep concern amongst pharmacy contractors, in particular, the potential negative impact it may have commercially. However, customers should continue to place orders with C&H as your preferred partner for all your "Specials", Specially Obtained items, Imported international medicines and "difficult to procure" lines. As a sector specialist, C&H understand the intervention in its entirety and can respond to all its elements:- - C&H is both an originator and distributor of unlicensed medicines and will continue to offer the FULL sector product portfolio - maintaining our "one stop shop" solution - All "Specials" supplied by C&H are manufactured under an MHRA Specials Licence (MS). C&H customers will enjoy a seamless transition through implementation of Tariff measures - We understand the impact the required regulatory compliance, endorsement and PCT submission measures will have upon your pharmacy practice and have developed documentation, systems and processes for launch on 1st November to manage the transition without endorsement errors - C&H can guarantee purchase profit across the DT listed lines with an enhanced level of service C&H will continue to ensure full communication of enhancements to our systems and processes. As we approach implementation, and as more details of Tariff prices become known, we will be able to confirm the degree of our commercial proposition across Tariff lines. Please be assured that as a business comprised of pharmacists with many years' experience as managers and proprietors, we can be relied upon to support you in mitigating the impact that the introduction of the Tariff may have on your business, both operationally and commercially. Should you have any questions ahead of our next update, please feel free to call us on 0800 917 2055 or e-mail your question to John Bardsley, Managing Director of C&H, at John.Bardsley@CraigandHayward.co.uk