The Department of Health and Social Care has issued nine serious shortage protocols (SSPs) covering three strengths of Quetiapine tablets amid “significant ongoing disruption” to the supply of the antipsychotic. 

The SSPs apply to the 150mg, 200mg and 300mg strengths of the tablets, and for each product allow pharmacists to substitute an alternative strength, restrict the amount supplied or both.

The quantity restriction SSPs state that where a patient presents a prescription with a duration of more than a month and supplies are available, pharmacists may supply a month’s worth of tablets in accordance with the DHSC guidance. In these circumstances, patients are not required to pay a prescription charge. 

The full details of the nine SSPs are available on the NHS Business Services Authority website.

Community Pharmacy England said: “Pharmacists will need to call on their clinical expertise to determine which SSP is the most appropriate to use in each scenario and to counsel patients on any changes made to their treatment and what it means for their medicine regimen.”

The SSPs were issued on Tuesday July 16 and are set to expire on September 13. 

Last month, NHS England issued a supply notification for a "medium impact" shortage of Quetiapine tablets, stating that 25mg, 50mg and 100mg tablets "currently remain available and can support a partial increase in demand".  The same is true of several strengths of the prolonged release tablets and of the 20mg/ml oral suspension product. 

Charity Bipolar UK said it was “deeply concerned about the potential impact of the current national shortage of certain medications” which according to the NHS are expected to continue “until at least the end of August 2024”.