Two SSPs issued for Lansoprazole 15mg and 30mg orodispersible tablets
In response to a significant ongoing disruption to the supply of Lansoprazole 15mg orodispersible tablets and Lansoprazole 30mg orodispersible tablets, two Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) have been issued by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Effective today 09 September 2026, SSP088 and SSP089 provides that where supplies are available, but the prescription is for more than one month’s supply the total quantity supplied under this protocol is to be equivalent to one months’ supply of Lansoprazole 15mg orodispersible tablets and Lansoprazole 30mg orodispersible tablets respectively.
SSP088 and SSP089, authorised by the Secretary of State, have been developed by clinicians and provide 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.
These SSPs may be amended or revoked at any time, but currently expire on Friday 15 January 2027 – we will update pharmacy owners on any changes.
Key points relating to SSP088 & SSP089
-
- This protocol provides for a reduced quantity of Lansoprazole 15mg orodispersible tablets and Lansoprazole 30mg orodispersible tablets to be supplied for less than the number of days prescribed on original prescription.
- For supply in accordance with SSP088 and/or SSP089, no prescription charges will be applicable for Lansoprazole 15mg orodispersible tablets and Lansoprazole 30mg orodispersible tablets.
- For patients that PAY for their prescriptions, the pharmacist should mark on the prescription that a charge has been paid, however NO charge should be taken.
- When declaring prescription totals at the end of the month, pharmacists should declare these prescriptions as paid. The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) will amend total monthly figures to account for prescriptions covered by SSP088 and SSP089. In order for the NHSBSA to appropriately amend the total monthly figures it is critical that the prescription is correctly endorsed with the SSP number e.g. SSP088 or SSP089.
- 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 SSP088.
- For endorsing requirements, please refer to NHSBSA’s supporting guidance for SSP089.
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 SSP088 & SS089 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 SSP088 Lansoprazole 15mg orodispersible tablets and SSP089 Lansoprazole 30mg orodispersible tablets.
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 the quantity of Lansoprazole 15mg orodispersible tablets or Lansoprazole 30mg orodispersible tablets dispensed. 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 £1.52)
- 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 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.
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.
