On 17th January 2019 Keith Ridge, NHSE Chief Pharmaceutical Officer,  wrote to update pharmacy professionals about the work on the continuity of supply of medicines as part of the Government’s contingency preparations for a ‘no deal’ EU exit (see article here).   Within the letter was a summary about a Serious Shortage Protocol; the government has put in place legislation to enable Ministers to issue protocols that, where appropriate, enable community pharmacies to dispense against a protocol instead of a prescription without going back to the prescriber first. Any protocol will be developed with input from clinicians and could cover dispensing a different quantity, pharmaceutical form, strength or a generic or therapeutic equivalent. 

For your information we have included the links to the amendment to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to enable a Serious Shortage Protocol to be enacted http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/62/contents/made