Serious shortage protocols (SSPs) for pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) drug Creon and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) Estradot have been extended to April 17, the Department of Health and Social Care (DH) announced last week.
It said the UK-wide SSPs for Estradot apply to the 25 mcg, 50 mcg, 75 mcg and 100 mcg transdermal patches, while the SSP for Creon affects the Creon 10000 gastro-resistant capsules.
The drugs were all due to expire on January 30. The DH also extended the SSP for Creon 25000 capsules to April 17 earlier in January.
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Prescribing guidance
Scotland’s chief pharmaceutical officer Alison Strath said in a letter that community pharmacists can substitute Estradot prescriptions “with the equivalent strength and the same quantity of Evorel or Estraderm MX transdermal patches” in accordance with the requirements of each SSP for eligible patients.
And for the affected Creon capsules, pharmacists are allowed to “restrict the total quantity supplied under the noted SSP to one month’s supply of the prescribed medicine”.
The letter added that pharmacists “are expected to use their professional skill and judgement” to decide whether it is “reasonable and appropriate” to substitute a patient’s prescribed medicine using the SSP - and that patients must agree to the alternative drug.
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It comes after the SSPs for Creon were extended for the third time in November, despite the DH confirming just the previous month that it had managed to “secure additional volumes” of the drug for the remainder of the year.
And it follows the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) warning the government in June that patients were “skipping meals” and “rationing doses” to access Creon.
