Government action needed to tackle medicine shortages

A report from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society calls for governments across the UK to work on a strategy to manage medicine shortages.

A new report from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), backed by charities and patient groups, calls on Governments across the UK to work together on a strategy to manage medicine shortages.

The report, Medicine Shortages: solutions for empty shelves explains how medicine supply chains are global and complex with shortages caused by manufacturing problems and disrupted, less resilient supply chains. The report finds that supply chain issues are in part due to the consolidation of manufacturing outlets and cost-driven pressures.

The findings also highlight that supply chain vulnerabilities have combined with unplanned spikes in demand, such as shifts in prescribing practice or increased diagnosis of some conditions, to create a perfect storm of unstable supply.

This has made it harder for patients to access treatment, causing frustration, anxiety and in some cases, harm to patient health.

The report calls for a national strategy to both prevent and manage medicine shortages that would streamline efforts across the NHS, reduce inefficiencies caused by duplication of effort and ensure information and guidance for professionals and patients is available as soon as shortages occur.

Other recommendations in the report include:

• Invest in the resources needed to manage medicines shortages, including pharmacy workforce across the NHS and community pharmacy IT systems that help to mitigate and manage medicines shortages.
• Enable greater data sharing to support planning and predict demand, including between NHS, manufacturers and wholesalers to enable effective planning in both primary and secondary care; and further enabled by medicines manufacturers and wholesalers sharing relevant data.
• Develop a UK wide strategy for shortages to improve medicines supply chain resilience and medicines security in the context of changing pharmaceutical market dynamics and the ongoing increases in medicines shortages globally.
• Support medicines manufacturing infrastructure, in both commercial and NHS manufacturing units; in particular generic manufacturing which accounts for 80% of medicines prescribed in the NHS.

James Davies, Director at RPS and co-author of the report, said:

“Taking a new approach to medicine shortages is essential. A properly resourced UK-wide medicines shortages strategy that helps prevent and manage shortages would greatly improve the resilience of the supply chain. This would relieve stress and anxiety for patients and free up time for pharmacists to focus on patient care rather than constantly chasing down supplies.”

Bruce Warner, Chair of the advisory group for the report, said:

“This report provides a comprehensive assessment of what is causing medicine shortages, their impact on patients, pharmacists and healthcare professionals, and what more can be done to mitigate and manage shortages.

“Better collaboration across the whole medicines supply chain is needed and improving early reporting of shortages by manufacturers to the Department of Health and Social Care is of critical importance. Prompt notice of a supply problem allows time to act, find solutions and produce clear guidance, meaning health professionals are fully informed and patients are saved from delays and confusion that can cause distress and harm to health.”

Lucy Mulvagh, Director of Policy, Research and Impact, Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE), said:

“Medicine shortages cause distress and risk the health and wellbeing of people who rely on them to live well. Evidence suggests that people currently affected include those living with long term conditions like diabetes and epilepsy, and women using hormone replacement therapy to manage the symptoms of menopause. We have heard concerning reports of people facing the prospect of going without vital medication or being offered less suitable alternatives as a result of shortages.”

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