CPE has announced a new SSP for antidepressant Venlafaxine while warning that pharmacy staff have made a “large number” of incorrect claims for dispensing under the protocols.
The negotiator yesterday (June 23) announced that “in response to a significant ongoing disruption to the supply of Venlafaxine 37.5mg modified-release tablets” – a drug used to treat depression and anxiety – the Department of Health and Social Care (DH) has issued an SSP.
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The protocol states that “for every Venlafaxine 37.5mg modified-release tablet originally prescribed, one Venlafaxine 37.5mg modified-release capsule must be supplied”, CPE said.
It added that SSP083 is effective from yesterday until August 1.
“This protocol does not allow for the quantity supplied to be less than the number of days prescribed on the original prescription,” CPE said.
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And it urged pharmacy staff to “ensure that patients considered unsuitable for inclusion are promptly referred to their prescriber for further advice”.
“Pharmacists must exercise their professional judgement to ensure the alternative products are suitable for the patient,” it added.
“Incorrect endorsements”
The announcement also revealed continuing issues around SSPs despite previous warnings from the negotiator.
“A large number of SSP claims continue to be deemed invalid by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) due to incorrect endorsements applied by patient medication record (PMR) systems and/or pharmacy staff,” CPE said.
“Pharmacy teams are reminded to follow the SSP-specific guidance to ensure endorsements are applied correctly,” it added.
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“We recommend pharmacy owners regularly reconcile the value of SSP fees on their payment schedules against the number of SSPs declared on the FP34C submission form,” it said.
“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,” it added.
It comes as health minister Karin Smyth last week told MPs that the DH “has no plans to conduct a specific review” on the impact of medicine supply chain shortages on community pharmacies.
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Meanwhile earlier this month, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) revealed that 96% of members have experienced “challenges supplying” cancer drug Creon, with some calling it “the ‘worst stock shortage’ they have ever had to deal with”.
But health minister Baroness Merron appeared to downplay the Creon shortage during a House of Lords debate just days later, stating that while she “[accepts] patients may have concerns”, the drugs “are being provided to those who need them”.
And last month, the DH announced that it will consult on granting pharmacists “the flexibility to supply” drug alternatives in “cases of immediate clinical need” after a toddler died during antibiotic shortages.
