12 Dec 2012
In England and Wales there is a set price specified in the Drug Tariff for the most commonly used generic items. There may be occasions however, when you are unable to obtain stock at the specified price due, for example, to manufacturing problems.
Where there are significant difficulties in obtaining items at the Drug Tariff price, the Department of Health (DH) may grant the item ‘NCSO (No Cheaper Stock Obtainable) status’. This allows you to dispense an item more expensive than the Drug Tariff price and ensures, subject to suitable endorsement, that you will be paid for the more costly equivalent.
If the item has been granted an NCSO concession you should ensure that the prescription is endorsed clearly with ‘NCSO’, initialled by the pharmacist and dated.
NCSO changes will be posted on the NPA members-only website as soon as they are agreed. They apply only to prescriptions dispensed during the month specified. Remember – this concession applies only to items that the DH has approved for that specific month – not all out of stock items.
If you are unable to obtain an item at the Drug Tariff price, and there is no agreed NCSO concession, you should contact the NPA who will submit the details to PSNC for investigation.
