Supply issues

Pharmacists warn that use of manufacturers’ drug quotas is affecting patient care

Community pharmacists have called on the government to step in and address the issue of drug manufacturers’ quotas, which they say are affecting patient care.…

Government ‘shortage protocols’ should enable pharmacists to switch between branded drugs, say pharmacy leaders

Health legislation should be amended to allow pharmacists to switch between branded medicines in case of a medicines supply shortage, pharmacy leaders have said.…

Medicines could be delayed at the UK/EU border for six months under a ‘no-deal’ Brexit, warns DHSC

The government has warned the health and social care sector that medicines could be delayed at the UK border for a period of up to six months in the event of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit.…

PSNC proposes change to NHS rules to allow pharmacists to refuse prescriptions

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee has called for pharmacists to be allowed to refuse to dispense prescriptions if a drug is in short supply.…

PSNC says pharmacists should be able to substitute drugs to ease Brexit supply pressures

Pharmacy negotiators have suggested that community pharmacists should be able to automatically substitute an alternative medicine if they cannot dispense the prescribed item, as a way to help deal with any possible drugs shortages post-Brexit.…

Ministers need to act more quickly over medicines shortages

If you want an example of the perverse twists and turns of the UK’s medicines supply market, just look at buprenorphine.…

Six in ten UK hospital pharmacists encounter medicines shortages daily, finds survey

Six in ten hospital pharmacists in the UK have reported experiencing medicines shortages every day, according to a new survey carried out by the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists.…

MPs say no reason to change flu vaccine procurement system

MPs on the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee say they have confidence in the current flu vaccination procurement system and there is no reason for reform, despite numerous reports of supply shortages.…

Senior government official unable to ‘issue guarantee’ on medicines supply after no-deal Brexit

Sir Chris Wormald, permanent secretary of the Department of Health and Social Care, was unable to reassure MPs that UK patients would still get the essential medicines they need if there is a no-deal Brexit.…

Pharmacists face continued EpiPen shortages

Pharmacists in the UK are having to ration stocks of EpiPen, a first-line treatment for anaphylaxis, as a result of ongoing shortages.…