Five Suppliers Appointed to £1m NHS Unlicensed Specials Framework

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust has appointed five suppliers to a £1 million framework for the supply of Unlicensed Specials.

The East Midlands Pharmacy Collaborative (EMPC) is establishing the multi-supplier framework on behalf of its member Trusts.

Ascot Laboratories, Eaststone Ltd, Prulab Pharma Ltd, Rosemont Pharmaceuticals Ltd and Vertical Pharma Resources Ltd/IPS Pharma have all secured places on the framework.

The agreement is valued at £1 million and is expected to run for two years from 1 October 2026 until 30 September 2028.

There is also an option to extend the framework for a further two years at the discretion of EMPC and the suppliers, potentially taking the agreement through to September 2030.

Six tenders were received, with five progressing to the final assessment stage. All five suppliers assessed at the final stage were appointed to the framework and are SMEs.

The award decision was made on 1 September 2026, with the earliest contract signing date set for 21 September 2026.

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