Lansoprazole melt-in-the-mouth tablets are short. What that means for you

What happened

On 9 September 2026, two Serious Shortage Protocols came into force for lansoprazole orodispersible tablets. These are the tablets that melt on the tongue, used by people who find swallowing capsules difficult. The two protocols are SSP088, covering the 15mg tablets, and SSP089, covering the 30mg tablets. They run until 15 January 2027 unless they are changed or withdrawn earlier. A Serious Shortage Protocol is a temporary rule made by the Department of Health and Social Care. It lets community pharmacists act without sending you back to your GP every time. Under these two protocols, if your prescription is for more than a month's worth, the pharmacist can supply one month's worth instead. They must write the protocol number on the prescription and tell the person who prescribed it. The Department also issued a Medicine Supply Notification about lansoprazole orodispersible tablets on the same day, flagging the supply problem to prescribers.

Why this matters

Lansoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor. It lowers the amount of acid your stomach makes. People take it for heartburn and reflux, for stomach ulcers, and to protect the stomach lining when they are on medicines such as long-term anti-inflammatories. Most people who take lansoprazole take the capsules, and those are not affected. The shortage is specifically about the orodispersible form. That form matters most to a particular group: people who struggle to swallow, people fed through a tube, some older people, and some children. For them it is not a preference. It is the version that works. The practical effect is that some people will be collecting their medicine more often than usual. If you rely on someone else to collect it for you, or you have mobility problems, that is a real inconvenience rather than a minor one.

What the evidence actually says

A Serious Shortage Protocol is not a warning that a medicine is unsafe. It is a supply management tool. It exists so that the stock that does exist is spread more evenly, instead of a few early prescriptions clearing a pharmacy's shelf. The protocols do not tell pharmacists to swap you to a different drug. They limit quantity. That is a narrower step than the protocols that allow a different strength or a different formulation to be supplied. The end date of 15 January 2027 is not a promise that supply returns on that day. It is the date the rule expires unless it is renewed. Shortages sometimes clear earlier and sometimes get extended. One point worth being clear about: you should not be charged extra because a protocol was used. The usual NHS prescription charge rules still apply, and in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland NHS prescriptions are free.

Qurexa perspective

This is squarely our territory, so we will be direct about it. Shorter supplies mean more frequent trips to the pharmacy. For someone with reduced mobility, or a carer already stretched thin, four collections instead of one is not a small change. If you are a Qurexa prescription delivery customer and your lansoprazole is affected, you do not need to do anything different. We will simply schedule the deliveries more often while the protocol is in place, at no extra cost to you. If you would rather we called before each delivery, tell us and we will. If you are not a customer, the same advice applies wherever you get your medicines: tell your pharmacy you would like a heads-up when stock is tight.

Practical advice

Do not stockpile. Buying or requesting extra makes the shortage worse for everyone, including people who need it more than you do. Do not stop taking it on your own. If you have been prescribed lansoprazole to protect your stomach alongside another medicine, stopping suddenly can cause problems. Speak to your pharmacist or GP first. Order early. Put in your repeat request about a week before you run out, so there is time to sort out a problem. Ask about alternatives if you keep running into trouble. Lansoprazole comes in other forms, and there are other medicines in the same family. Your pharmacist can talk this through with your GP. If you use the melt-in-the-mouth tablets because of swallowing difficulties, say so clearly. That information changes what a pharmacist can safely offer you. And if you are given a month's supply when your prescription said three, that is the protocol working as designed, not a mistake.

What to know

Two Serious Shortage Protocols, SSP088 and SSP089, started on 9 September 2026 for lansoprazole 15mg and 30mg orodispersible tablets. They let pharmacists supply one month at a time and run until 15 January 2027 unless changed. The capsules are not affected. The shortage is about the melt-in-the-mouth form. Order early, do not stockpile, do not stop your medicine without advice, and tell your pharmacist if you need this form because of swallowing difficulties. Sources: Community Pharmacy England, "Two SSPs issued for Lansoprazole 15mg and 30mg orodispersible tablets", 9 September 2026, https://cpe.org.uk/our-news/two-ssps-issued-for-lansoprazole-15mg-and-30mg-orodispersible-tablets/ | Community Pharmacy England, "Medicine Supply Notification: Lansoprazole 15mg and 30mg orodispersible tablets", 9 September 2026, https://cpe.org.uk/our-news/ | NHS Business Services Authority, "Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs)", accessed 11 September 2026, https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/pharmacies-gp-practices-and-appliance-contractors/serious-shortage-protocols-ssps This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional.