The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has extended the Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) for Fluoxetine 10mg tablets (SSP005) and Lipitor 10mg
chewable tablets (SSP032) to Wednesday, 7 December 2022.
SSP005 for Fluoxetine 10mg tablets was due to expire on 12 August 2022.
DHSC has also updated that SSP032 for Lipitor 10mg chewable tablets was due to expire on 12 August 2022 but the end date has been further extended to Friday 26
August 2022.
SSP005 provides that for every Fluoxetine 10mg tablet originally prescribed, one Fluoxetine 10mg capsule must be supplied:
"Expiry dates of an SSP may be brought forward or extended, and the content may be amended at any time during the life of an SSP. Pharmacists should ensure they
are using the latest version of an SSP before considering the supply of an alternative product," said DHSC.
Considering the shortage of Fluoxetine 10mg tablets, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has extended the serious shortage protocol (SSP) for the medicine to February 11, 2022.
Earlier the SSP for Fluoxetine 10mg tablets was set to expire on November 12.
Extension of the transition period will enable use of No Cheaper Stock Obtainable (NCSO) endorsement and use of EPS tokens to claim for supplies made in accordance
with SSPs.
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has accepted that either the new 'SSP' or existing 'NCSO' endorsement for any SSP claims can be submitted using electronic prescriptions (EPS) tokens of FP10 paper prescriptions, during the period.