Estradot and Creon SSPs extended to January 2027, Creon 10000 ends
2 October 2026
The NHS Business Services Authority amended five Serious Shortage Protocols on 2 October 2026. Estradot 25, 50, 75 and 100 microgram patches and Creon 25000 capsules now run to 8 January 2027. The Creon 10000 capsules protocol reached its end date on 2 October 2026 and is listed as expired.
What the NHSBSA page shows
Each of the five extended protocols carries the line "This SSP was amended on 02 October 2026". The page lists them as follows.
SSP082 covers Estradot 25 microgram patches, running from 3 April 2025. SSP079, SSP080 and SSP081 cover Estradot 50, 75 and 100 microgram patches, all running from 19 December 2024. SSP061 covers Creon 25000 capsules, running from 24 May 2024. All five now end on 8 January 2027.
SSP060, for Creon 10000 capsules, also started on 24 May 2024. Its listed end date was 2 October 2026, and the page now shows it under expired protocols.
The NHSBSA page tells contractors to check the table for the latest information on each protocol's validity, "as they can change". The protocol documents say pharmacists must use an SSP only within its authorised dates and its criteria, and must check they are working from the current version.
How long these have run
The Creon protocols have been in place for more than two years. The Estradot 50, 75 and 100 microgram protocols have run since December 2024, and the 25 microgram protocol since April 2025.
Estradot has been here before. The same NHSBSA page lists earlier Estradot protocols that have since expired, among them SSP012 for 75 microgram patches in April to June 2021, SSP048 and SSP049 for 50 and 100 microgram patches in early 2023, and SSP055 and SSP057 for 75 and 100 microgram patches later in 2023.
At the dispensary
The NHSBSA page now shows 8 January 2027 as the end date for five protocols, so teams can plan HRT and pancreatic enzyme supply against that date. Anyone holding a printed copy of one of these protocols should check it against the current version on the NHSBSA page, as the protocol documents themselves advise.
The Creon 10000 expiry matters for the same reason. Any local note that still treats SSP060 as live is out of date.