Can I clarify how data from prescriptions that pharmacies have utilised Serious Shortage Protocol (SSP) endorsements are represented in the EPD?

I cannot see anything in the English Prescribing Dataset Release Guidance Version: v002 documentation.

EPD is a practice prescribing view of the data and it would not be possible to identify where an SSP had been utilised.  Any SSP items would be counted against the dispensed drug; reflecting the basis of reimbursement.  PCA provides a dispensed view but you would still not be able to identify where an SSP had been utilised.  Therefore on the data available on the ODP it is not possible to see where an SSP has been utilised.

Thanks for this - delighted to have this open forum for answering questions.

I am still not sure what the following means

EPD is a practice prescribing view of the data and it would not be possible to identify where an SSP had been utilised. Any SSP items would be counted against the dispensed drug

Maybe an example might help.........Let’s take a hypothetical SPP where atorvastatin 20mg can be endorsed under an SSP as simvastatin 40mg. Dr X prescribes 28 tablets of atorvastatin and the pharmacy dispenses simvastatin. In this instance what would the row appear as in the EPD?

Hi Brian

With regard items dispensed where a SSP has been utilised the EPD data should show the drug that has been dispensed not what was originally prescribed. So, in the above example that you provided, Simvastatin 40mg should be what appears as a row in EPD. There are some known data quality issues specifically with regard SSPs that fall below the usual 99.9% accuracy of prescriptions processing. Also, it should be noted that there is no record of which SSP each item was claimed against. A list of the SSPs can be found on the NHSBSA website https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/pharmacies-gp-practices-and-appliance-contractors/serious-shortage-protocols-ssps

Thanks Paul. That's really helpful.

Data quality issues are to be expected with a new service so I'm not worried about that. But glad to hear you and team are on it to bring it up to the high standard of regular prescriptions!

Happy to close this now!