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<p>While Serious Shortage Protocols (SSP) in England have the scope to cover all medicines
and appliances that are on a National Health Service prescription in primary care,
including immunosuppressant medicines, it is clear that an SSP for therapeutic or
generic equivalents will not necessarily be suitable for all medicines and patients.
For example, where medicines need to be prescribed by brand for clinical reasons,
which may be the case for certain immunosuppressant medicines. In these cases, patients
would always be referred back to the prescriber for any decision about their treatment
before any alternative is supplied.</p><p>Any protocol would however only be introduced
if clinicians with expertise in the relevant area think it is appropriate. So, if
an SSP for an immunosuppressant medicine was under consideration, this would be agreed
with, for example, transplant specialists or other relevant clinicians. Pharmacists
will have to use their professional judgment as to whether supplying against the protocol
rather than the prescription is appropriate or the patient should be referred to their
prescriber.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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