Serious shortage protocol expiry for Latanoprost brought forward

The Serious Shortage Protocol (SSPO86) for Latanoprost 50 micrograms/ml / Timolol 5 mg/ml eye drops 0.2 ml unit dose preservative‑free will expire at 23:59pm tonight (Friday 23 January 2026).

The affected medicine is a combination of two active drugs (Latanoprost and Timolol) which treat open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension more effectively than either drug on its own.

This SSP was originally set to expire on 6 February 2026, but its expiry date has been brought forward because the substitute product to be supplied in according with this SSP, Vizilatan Duo 2.5ml preservative-free eye drops, is now experiencing supply issues.

After 23rd January 2026, SSP086 will no longer be valid for use.

Since their introduction in 2019, more than 80 SSPs have been put in place. However, some SSP claims are deemed invalid by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) due to incorrect or missing endorsements, or where claims are submitted outside the SSP validity period.

Only valid SSP claims receive the SSP fee of £5.35 and reimbursement for the alternative product or quantity supplied, meaning any incorrect or incomplete claims can result in lost income for the pharmacy.

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) recently shared its top tips for SSP claims with The Pharmacist. These included:

• Ensure the SSP is still valid at the point of supply;
• Endorse the full correct three-digit SSP reference number;
• Endorse the alternative product supplied not the prescribed item;
• Do not apply any endorsements on the EPS token;
• Use the red separator for FP10 paper prescriptions with SSP claims.