The government yesterday (November 20) extended two SSPs for the pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) medication Creon until next year.
According to Community Pharmacy England (CPE), the SSPs were due to expire today but have now been “further extended” to January 16.
This is the third time the Department of Health and Social Care (DH) has extended these SSPs after it ordered an extension last November until May and then again from May until this week.
Read more: DH confirms cancer drug stock secured five months after warning
It comes after the DH last month revealed that it had managed to “secure additional volumes” of PERT cancer medication for the remainder of the year.
Parliamentary under-secretary for the DH Zubir Ahmed said at the time that the department is “aware of ongoing intermittent supply issues” and “continuously assessing” PERT availability.
Read more: Minister downplays ‘worst ever’ Creon cancer drug shortages
The DH is “continuing to work with all suppliers of PERT to help resolve the supply issues in the short and longer term”, he said, explaining that through these discussions the department has “managed to secure additional volumes for 2025 for the UK”.
The government is also in “regular communication with suppliers on expected volumes for 2026”, he added.
“Worst stock shortage ever”
Ahmed’s comments came almost five months after the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) warned the government that patients were “skipping meals” and “rationing doses” to access Creon - which is used to treat pancreatic cancer.
The NPA said at the time that one pharmacist had described the issue as “the worst stock shortage they have ever had to deal with”.
And pharmacies warned that patients were “travelling distances of over 30 miles” to access the drug, as well as “difficulties in supplying PERT alternatives”.
Read more: Cancer patients ‘skipping meals’ amid ‘worst ever’ stock shortage
Meanwhile, the DH finally published a consultation seeking views on granting pharmacists “flexibilities when dispensing medicines” in September to “improve access to medicines”.
But CPE last month called for “further expansion” of the government’s proposals, warning that there must also be an assessment of the additional workload and costs for the sector.
