New SSP issued for Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml (Fixapost®) eye drops 0.2ml unit dose preservative free
In response to a significant ongoing disruption to the supply of Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml (Fixapost®) eye drops 0.2ml unit dose preservative free, a Serious Shortage Protocol (SSP) has been issued by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Effective today 19 December 2025, SSP086 provides that for every 2.5ml bottle of Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml (Fixapost®) eye drops 0.2ml unit dose preservative free, one 2.5ml bottle of Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml (Vizilatan Duo®) preservative free eye drops of the following must be supplied.
SSP086, authorised by the Secretary of State, has been developed by clinicians and provides pharmacists with procedures to follow in providing a suitable alternative product to help reduce the number of patients having to return to their prescriber for a replacement prescription.
| SSP | For prescriptions (NHS or private) requesting: | Supply permitted under SSP |
| SSP086 | Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml (Fixapost®) eye drops 0.2ml unit dose preservative free | Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml (Vizilatan Duo®) preservative free eye drops |
The SSP may be amended or revoked at any time but currently expires on Friday 6 February 2026 – we will update pharmacy owners on any changes.
Key points relating to SSP086
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- This protocol does not allow for the quantity supplied to be less than the number of days prescribed on original prescription
- Ensure that patients considered unsuitable for inclusion are promptly referred to their prescriber for further advice.
- Ensure that the patient is counselled on the correct use of the dropper device, the 4-week in-use shelf life and reassured that the product is preservative free
- The supervising pharmacist should ensure that the patient’s prescriber is notified when supplying a patient in accordance with this SSP
- For endorsing requirements, please refer to NHSBSA’s supporting guidance for SSP086.
Pharmacy owners will receive an email to their shared NHSmail account informing them of this SSP and pharmacy teams are advised to read the documentation for SSP086 in full and to implement the protocol with immediate effect. Pharmacists are required to read and comply with the requirements outlined within the individual SSP as published on the NHSBSA website for SSP086 Latanoprost 50micrograms/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml (Fixapost®) eye drops 0.2ml unit dose preservative free.
Reimbursement
Reimbursement is for the medicine supplied in accordance with the SSP and not the quantity of originally prescribed medicine i.e. in this instance pharmacy owners will be reimbursed the reimbursement price for Vizilatan Duo® 5mg/ml preservative free eye drops. Supply in accordance with the SSP will result in the following fees being paid to the pharmacy owner and products supplied in accordance with an SSP is to be considered VAT zero-rated:
- One Single Activity fee (currently £1.46)
- One SSP fee (£5.35)
Endorsing SSP claims correctly
Community Pharmacy England previously reported that the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received a number of EPS SSP claims which did not meet the requirements for a valid SSP claim. A large number SSP claims continue to be deemed invalid by the NHSBSA due to incorrect endorsements applied by PMR systems and/or pharmacy staff. We recommend pharmacy owners to regularly reconcile the value of SSP fees on their payment schedules against the number of SSPs declared on the FP34C submission form. Please refer to our new guidance on reconciliation of SSP claims.
If there is a payment discrepancy and it is believed that the correct SSP endorsing guidance was followed, pharmacy owners may consider requesting a re-check of relevant prescriptions and the NHSBSA will be able to explain why the claim was unpaid or rectify the payments.
Pharmacy teams are reminded to follow the SSP-specific guidance to ensure endorsements are applied correctly, and we also have guidance supporting teams raising PMR-specific claiming issues with their suppliers. Click here for more Top Tips on claiming for SSPs.
Support in implementing the SSP
The following resources have been developed to support pharmacy teams in using these protocols.
Serious Shortage Protocols Operational Guidance
Serious Shortage Protocols Questions & Answers
Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) Endorsing Factsheet
Briefing 023/19: Serious Shortage Protocols – A guide for community pharmacy teams
Background information on SSPs
Further information on what SSPs are and when they may be used is available via the links below.
