Community Pharmacy England (CPE) last week (August 22) announced that it is “urgently seeking assurances from the Department of Health and Social Care (DH)” about the reimbursement rates for Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug Mounjaro.
The negotiator has asked for confirmation that “reimbursement of NHS prescriptions - branded or generically written - for Mounjaro dispensed from September will reflect the new higher list prices”, it said.
It comes after Lilly announced earlier this month that it will hike the price of Mounjaro in the UK by up to 170% from September 1 to align it with the cost in other countries.
Read more: BREAKING: Lilly hikes Mounjaro price to address ‘inconsistencies’
It stressed that it has “reached an agreement with the NHS to ensure continued supply and patient access” but the details of this agreement including pricing remain unclear.
CPE said that it “[understands] there are growing concerns regarding Mounjaro pricing” but noted it is “unable” to address queries about the private supply of the drug, which are outside the negotiator’s remit.
It is “expecting” the DH to make an “exception” to the price change mechanism and grant retrospective price adjustments for NHS Mounjaro prescriptions dispensed in September and hopes to be able to make an announcement on this “shortly”, the negotiator said.
“Surge in demand”
CPE drug tariff and reimbursement manager Suraj Shah stressed that “the announcement of substantial price increases for tirzepatide (Mounjaro) is a significant worry for pharmacy teams and patients alike”.
The negotiator began seeking assurances from the DH “as soon as the news broke”, she said, adding that “the government must look to both maintain UK supply and protect pharmacies from any knock-on effects”.
“No one yet knows the full extent of the impact the change will have on community pharmacies, but we are already aware of a surge in demand ahead of September’s planned increase,” Shah added.
Read more: Revealed: Lilly creates ‘Mounjaro rebate scheme’ for pharmacies
Lilly’s announcement of the Mounjaro price hike has caused distress within the sector with the Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA) saying it was “shocked and very disappointed” by the move and warning that it could lead to pharmacy closures.
And online pharmacy Juniper warned that the hike on prices “will push too many people into an impossible choice between their finances and their health”.
But just days later, private services provider Pharmadoctor revealed to C+D that its “partner pharmacies” will be able to charge their patients “much less” as part of a Mounjaro rebate scheme.
