Pharmacists to use ‘clinical expertise’ as nine SSPs issued for antipsychotic pills
Pharmacists have been asked to “call on their clinical expertise to determine” which of nine new quetiapine tablet serious shortage protocols (SSPs) is “most appropriate” to use.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DH) has issued nine SSPs for antipsychotic drug quetiapine to mitigate “ongoing supply disruptions affecting certain quetiapine tablet strengths”, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) said yesterday (July 16).
The negotiator said that the protocols, which are in place “with immediate effect” and “currently set to expire on September 13”, have been issued “in response to significant ongoing disruption to the supply” of three quetiapine tablet strengths – 150mg, 200mg and 300mg.
Quetiapine is used to treat mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression, according to the NHS.
Read more: Whooping cough: DH reactivates two SSPs for antibiotic clarithromycin
The nine SSPs provide three options for each tablet strength in short supply - allowing pharmacists to restrict “the quantity supplied”, substitute “with a specific alternative product” or substitute “with a specific alternative product AND [restrict] the quantity supplied”, CPE said.
“Pharmacists will need to call on their clinical expertise to determine which SSP is the most appropriate to use in each scenario and to counsel patients on any changes made to their treatment,” it added.
Pharmacists will “need to consider both the pharmacy’s stock levels…and the patient’s circumstances and before determining” which SSP is most appropriate to use, while the changed may also “require additional counselling to ensure that the patient is confident to take their medication”, it said.
Affected drugs
The nine SSPs provide for the following:
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SSP062: Where the prescription is for one month’s supply or less and quetiapine 150mg tablets are not available, one 100mg and one 50mg quetiapine tablet, or three 50mg quetiapine tablets, or two 50mg and two 25mg quetiapine tablets must be supplied
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SSP063: Where the duration of treatment on the prescription is for more than one month’s supply and quetiapine 150mg tablets are available, quetiapine 150mg tablets must be supplied
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SSP064: Where the duration of treatment on the prescription is for more than one month’s supply and quetiapine 150mg tablets are not available, one 100mg and one 50mg quetiapine tablet, or three 50mg quetiapine tablets, or two 50mg and two 25mg quetiapine tablets must be supplied
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SSP065: Where the prescription is for one month’s supply or less and quetiapine 200mg tablets are not available, two 100mg quetiapine tablets, or one 100mg and two 50mg quetiapine tablets, or four 50mg quetiapine tablets must be supplied
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SSP066: Where the duration of treatment on the prescription is for more than one month’s supply and quetiapine 200mg tablets are available, quetiapine 200mg tablets must be supplied
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SSP067: Where the duration of treatment on the prescription is for more than one month’s supply and quetiapine 200mg tablets are not available, two 100mg quetiapine tablets, or one 100mg and two 50mg quetiapine tablets, or four 50mg quetiapine tablets must be supplied
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SSP068: Where the duration of treatment on the prescription is for one month’s supply or less and quetiapine 300mg tablets are not available, three 100mg quetiapine tablets or two 100mg and two 50mg quetiapine tablets must be supplied
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SSP069: Where the duration of treatment on the prescription is for more than one month’s supply and quetiapine 300mg tablets are available, quetiapine 300mg tablets must be supplied
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SSP070: Where the duration of treatment on the prescription is for more than one month’s supply and quetiapine 300mg tablets are not available, three 100mg quetiapine tablets or two 100mg and two 50mg quetiapine tablets must be supplied
Read more: DH and MHRA ban wholesalers from hoarding or exporting five ADHD drugs
Contractors will be reimbursed one single activity fee currently at £1.27 and one SSP fee at £5.35, CPE said.
In May, the negotiator announced two SSPs for clarithromycin 125mg/5ml and 250mg/5ml oral suspension in response to a “significant ongoing disruption to the supply” of the antibiotic.
The news came as the government warned in March that whooping cough cases were skyrocketing - with more than 500 cases in England this January compared with a total of almost 860 “for the whole of” last year.
Also in May, the health and social care committee’s (HSCC) pharmacy inquiry report demanded rapid change to drug substitution rules to give pharmacists greater powers.
