Limited Stability Fee

Part IIIA Section D of the Drug Tariff sets out the arrangements for the Limited Stability Fee. The fee can be claimed where a preparation which requires the addition of a vehicle/diluent by the pharmacy contractor results in a liquid of stability of less than 14 days, and for pharmaceutical reasons necessitates supply in more than one container. For example, after reconstitution, Keflex suspension has a shelf life of 10 days. If the prescription requests 14 days supply, the contractor would have to dispense the product on two different occasions to ensure the patient could complete the course.

The Limited Stability Fee is currently £1.55 per item and is claimed by endorsing the prescription with the number of extra containers supplied. Due to the nature of the endorsement, it is not always clear to prescription processing staff if the fee is being claimed by the pharmacy contractor or not, therefore to ensure accurate pricing, PSNC strongly recommends that the letters ‘LS' are also included in the endorsement. The fee can currently only be claimed for products that have been recognised by the NHSBSA Prescription Pricing Division as being stable for less than 14 days following the addition of a required diluent.

The list of recognised Limited Stability products can be found below by generic name.

Limited Stability List

Amoxicillin 125mg/5ml oral suspension
Amoxicillin 125mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free
Amoxicillin 250mg/5ml oral suspension
Amoxicillin 250mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free
Ampicillin 125mg/5ml oral suspension
Ampicillin 250mg/5ml oral suspension
Azithromycin 200mg/5ml oral suspension
Cefaclor 125mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free
Cefaclor 250mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free
Cefadroxil 125mg/5ml oral suspension
Cefadroxil 250mg/5ml oral suspension
Cefadroxil 500mg/5ml oral suspension
Cefalexin 125mg/5ml oral suspension
Cefalexin 250mg/5ml oral suspension
Cefalexin 500mg/5ml oral suspension
Cefpodoxime 40mg/5ml oral suspension
Cefradine 250mg/5ml oral solution
Cefuroxime 125mg/5ml oral suspension
Co-amoxiclav 125mg/31mg/5ml oral suspension
Co-amoxiclav 125mg/31mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free
Co-amoxiclav 400mg/57mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free
Co-amoxiclav 250mg/62mg/5ml oral suspension
Co-amoxiclav 250mg/62mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free
Erythromycin ethyl succinate 125mg/5ml oral suspension
Erythromycin ethyl succinate 125mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free
Erythromycin ethyl succinate 250mg/5ml oral suspension
Erythromycin ethyl succinate 250mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free
Erythromycin ethyl succinate 500mg/5ml oral suspension
Erythromycin ethyl succinate 500mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free
Flucloxacillin 125mg/5ml oral solution
Flucloxacillin 125mg/5ml oral solution sugar free
Flucloxacillin 250mg/5ml oral solution
Flucloxacillin 250mg/5ml oral solution sugar free
Oseltamivir 60mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free
Phenoxymethylpenicillin 125mg/5ml oral solution
Phenoxymethylpenicillin 125mg/5ml oral solution sugar free
Phenoxymethylpenicillin 250mg/5ml oral solution
Phenoxymethylpenicillin 250mg/5ml oral solution sugar free

Please note that although a generic product may be listed on the limited stability list, it is possible that where the product is manufactured by a number of companies that some brands or manufacturer's products are stable for less than 14 days and others for 14 days or more. The limited stability fee should only be claimed where the individual product being dispensed has stability of less than 14 days following required dilution and it is necessary to supply the product in more than one container.

To request the addition of products to the Limited Stability List, please contact PSNC's Aylesbury Office with details of the product concerned, the PSNC information team will contact the manufacturer to confirm the eligibility of the product and make an application to the Department of Health for the product to be added to the list as appropriate.

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