To ensure correct payments (fees and reimbursement) are made for any supplies made against an SSP, community pharmacy contractors are required to endorse the paper prescription, or the electronic prescription (where the prescription is issued using the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS)) with the following information:

• SSP [followed by the three-digit reference number applicable to the SSP] or NCSO (up until 5th October 2021) – to indicate that the supply was made in accordance with an SSP;
• Details of product supplied in accordance with the SSP (drug name, quantity, strength, formulation, supplier name or brand)*;
• Quantity supplied*;
• Pack size – best practice where multiple pack sizes are available; and
• Invoice price – only if NHSBSA has no list-price available on dm+d.

*The drug details and quantity supplied and endorsed will depend on the relevant SSP.

PSNC’s support guidance to endorsing SSPs, click here.

NHSBSA’s support guidance to endorsing SSPs, click here.

To ensure correct reimbursement, pharmacy teams should ensure that all Electronic Reimbursement Endorsement Messages (EREMs) or EPS claim notification messages, EPS dispensing tokens and/or paper FP10 forms with SSP claims are submitted to NHSBSA in a timely manner.

If SSP claims are submitted electronically, the Dispense Notification (DN) message should be submitted during the period of SSP validity. Pharmacy teams should take into account the EPS 5 day window and EPS submission timing when sending the EREMs i.e. submit claim message no later than the 5th of the month following supply. Should the pharmacy for whatever reason be unable to get the Dispense Notification message in time for the last day of the calendar month (e.g. because of a computer outage or for another reason), contractors are advised to use the corresponding EPS dispensing token for making and submitting an SSP claim. Any EPS dispensing tokens along with all paper prescriptions with SSP claims must be placed in a red separator and dispatched to the relevant division of the NHSBSA by the 5th of the month following that in which supply was made.

Submission of prescriptions containing both SSP(s) and non-SSP(s)

Contractors have to submit claims for SSPs in the usual manner, i.e. by the 5th of the month following that in which supply was made . However, any prescriptions with mixed (SSP and non-SSP items) may be claimed up to three months after the SSP expires to help deal with claims for any owings on the prescription. Using the example of SSP009 which expired 17 May 2021, the final cut-off for submission to be reimbursed for this SSP would be with your July bundle (submitted by the 5th of August).

Please note that SSPs cannot be supplied past the period of SSP validity. Any other items on the prescription (such as an owing) can continue to be dispensed as usual but must be submitted for payment within three months of expiry of the SSP.

PSNC Briefing 011/21: Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) updated endorsing guidance

PSNC Briefing 023/19: Serious Shortage Protocols – A guide for community pharmacy teams

PSNC SSP FAQs

NHSBSA Serious Shortage Protocols Operational Guidance

NHSBSA Serious Shortage Protocols Questions & Answers

If and when an SSP is revoked/expired, it will be removed from the live table above and instead placed below for historical reference.