Supply chain

Is our medicines supply chain stretched to breaking point?

Amid growing geopolitical turbulence, have the realities of the NHS’s medicine supply resilience been overlooked?…

Government to set out next steps on pharmacist dispensing flexibilities ‘in the coming weeks’

The Pharmacy All Party Parliamentary Group has called on the government to publish its consultation response “without delay”, warning that pharmacy teams are still absorbing much of the impact of medicines shortages.…

The lives cut short by medicine shortages

Coroners have warned public bodies six times in three years about the threat medicine shortages pose to patients. The Pharmaceutical Journal looks at the deaths behind those warnings and what pharmacists and patient groups say must change.…

How to manage medicines during major incidents

This article offers an overview of the responsibilities of pharmacy teams during major incidents and how lessons learned from previous incidents can strengthen local preparedness.…

Pharmacy and industry bodies publish guidance on barcodes for individual medicines doses across Europe

The proposed approach would ensure that individual units of medicines given to patients in Europe would carry their own barcode, instead of just the outer box.…

From liquids to solids: resetting paediatric prescribing for a safer, sustainable future

Pharmacists can lead an evidence-based shift to make convenient solid oral dosage forms the new normal.…

What causes medicines shortages: the supply chain explained

Record numbers of price concessions over the past year indicate increasing shortages. But what’s behind them — global events, commercial decisions or confusion about where stock is located?…

Alex Williams: ‘There’s a risk to the resilience of the supply chain if government doesn’t invest’

Increased costs and low medicines reimbursement could jeopardise the service that wholesalers provide to pharmacies, says the new chief executive of the Healthcare Distribution Association.…

Pharma companies reported fewer medicine supply issues in 2026

In the first six months of 2026, manufacturers reported fewer medicines supply issues to the government compared with the same periods in 2025 and 2024.…

How pharmacists are storing medicines in soaring temperatures

What is being done to ensure hospitals can store medicines safely as heatwaves become more prevalent and what steps are pharmacists taking to maintain medicines integrity in the short term?…