News | Medicines shortages

News

Record number of items dispensed using serious shortage protocols during penicillin shortage

Exclusive: Community pharmacists dispensed almost 13,000 items using a serious shortage protocol in December 2022, nearly double that of the previous peak.…

Published: 24 July 2023

News

National patient safety alert issued for GLP-1 receptor agonists

The alert warns healthcare providers not to switch between brands or double up on lower-dose preparations when the higher dose is unavailable.…

Published: 18 July 2023

News

Negotiators warn statin shortage is having ‘serious impact’ on pharmacies as price spikes

Pharmacy owners have reported “desperately trying to get hold of limited stock” of atorvastatin, while having to pay inflated prices for it, according to pharmacy bodies.…

Published: 6 July 2023

Feature

Special report: the UK’s medicines shortage crisis

Medicines shortages are a huge concern for pharmacists, with many spending hours each week sourcing alternatives. Moreover, the shortages are increasingly putting patients’ lives at risk.…

Published: 29 June 2023

News

Government declares ‘national shortage’ of GLP-1 receptor agonists for type 2 diabetes until 2024

The government attributed the shortages to “an increase in demand for these products for licensed and off-label indications”.…

Published: 28 June 2023

News

Weight loss drug semaglutide added to list of medicines that cannot be exported or ‘hoarded’

The list contains products that meet the needs of UK patients but may contribute to medicines shortages if they were exported.…

Published: 22 June 2023

News

Anti-epileptic shortages are ‘concerning’, patient support organisations say

The Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed that packs of Trileptal 300mg and 600mg tablets will be unavailable from late June 2023 until mid-July 2023.…

Published: 21 June 2023

News

Rise in pharmacists reporting patient safety risks from medicines shortages, shows survey

Exclusive: Results of The Pharmaceutical Journal's 2023 salary and job satisfaction survey have revealed 57% of pharmacists say medicines shortages have put patients at risk in the past six months.…

Published: 1 June 2023

Feature

Designing a more resilient system for medicines supply in the UK

Pharmacists attending a roundtable hosted by The Pharmaceutical Journal called for a new system to share the latest information and guidance on managing the growing number of medicine shortages facing the NHS.…

Published: 24 May 2023

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News

Serious shortage protocol issued to restrict dispensing of HRT drug Utrogestan

The government has said it expects the drug to have supply issues "until late 2023".…

Published: 22 May 2023