Published: 23/05/22

The Scottish Government has released ten new circulars outlining the introduction of temporary serious shortage protocols (SSPs) to help pharmacy teams manage demand for HRT products in short supply – these relate to Premique Low Dose tablets, Oestrogel, Ovestin, Lenzetto spray and Sandrena gel. In addition to the 3 SSPs released in late April, there are now a total of 13 live SSPs.

These SSPs allow the pharmacist to either:

• Restrict the quantity supplied – where a prescription has a duration of more than three months and supplies are available, an equivalent of three months’ supply will be permitted in accordance with the SSP for the prescribed medicine; or

• Substitute with a specific alternative product – where the prescribed duration of treatment is three months or less and supplies are unavailable, a pharmacist can supply a specific alternative product sufficient to provide a reasonable estimate of the prescribed duration of treatment, if deemed clinically appropriate; or

• Substitute with a specific alternative product AND restrict of the quantity supplied – where a prescription has a duration of more than three months and supplies are unavailable, the SSPs will allow pharmacists to provide three months’ supply of specific alternative product.

For each SSP, there are specific patient counselling points which must be taken into account when deciding whether supply in accordance with an SSP is suitable for a patient. 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 and what it means for their medicine regiment.