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The number of price concessions granted by the government has hit a record number for the fourth month in a row, breaching the 250 mark for the first time ever.
In a price concessions update published on 30 June 2026, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) highlighted that 254 price concessions were granted in England in June 2026, which is more than double the 105 granted in June 2025.
The latest update marks June 2026 as the fourth consecutive month of record numbers of price concessions — up from 201 in March 2026, 216 in April 2026 and 230 in May 2026.
The number of concessions now regularly exceeds the pre-2026 record set in March 2023, when 178 were granted, the update revealed.
Olivier Picard, chair of the National Pharmacy Association, called for the government to step in as he warned the issue was likely to continue “as increased costs from the Middle East conflict are fed through the supply chain”.
“Pharmacies in the UK have told us they have seen significantly inflated prices for some common medicines, which far exceed the amount they will be reimbursed by the NHS,” he added.
“The government must step in to help pharmacies, who are at the sharp end of something that is beyond their control. Pharmacies should not have to subsidise the NHS’s medicines bill. The government should fully cover these cost increases for pharmacies, as well as mitigate the impact of any potential shortage of medicines for patients.”
In a statement published alongside the update, James Davies, director of research and insights at CPE, commented: “Four consecutive months of record price concessions point to a medicines pricing system under sustained pressure.
“Pharmacy owners tell us month after month that they are having to spend significant time and personal money sourcing medicines above Drug Tariff prices, impacting their ability to provide patient care.
“The unrelenting price increases are creating serious cashflow challenges at a time when the sector is already under strain.
“Their reports are vital evidence for our negotiations with DHSC [Department of Health and Social Care], and we will continue to press for improved medicines pricing, better margin arrangements and a reimbursement model that better reflects the realities facing community pharmacies.”
In April 2026, sector experts told The Pharmaceutical Journal that price concessions can be an indication of shortages in the market, impacted by the conflict in Iran, a “broken” reimbursement model, thin margins and funding clawbacks.
In an interview with The Pharmaceutical Journal on 8 June 2026, Janet Morrison, chief executive of CPE, said the negotiator would be meeting with government ministers “before the end of June [2026]” to begin conversations around community pharmacy contract reform.
She added that margin, medicine supply and other issues would form part of the agenda for these discussions.
Commenting on the record number of concessions, Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the Company Chemists’ Association, said: “The fourth consecutive month of record-high price concessions is very concerning and a clear sign of the growing pressure on the medicines supply chain.
“Through competitive procurement community pharmacy has helped make the UK one of the most cost-effective medicines markets in the world. However, when NHS reimbursement prices become unsustainably low, they can undermine the resilience of the medicines supply chain and contribute to shortages.
“As we highlighted in our ‘Saving pennies, costing pounds‘ report, some price concessions are avoidable. The government’s focus on driving down medicine prices to all-time lows can ultimately increase the cost of medicines for taxpayers and directly lead to shortages. Shortages also impact pharmacy teams who have to spend more time sourcing medicines instead of delivering patient care.”
