The Royal Pharmaceutical Society in England and 19 other organisations have written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, calling for a cohesive cross-government strategy to tackle medicine shortages across the UK.
RPS Scotland and RPS Wales have also sent letters to the cabinet secretaries for health and social care in Scotland and Wales.
The letter follows the RPS report Medicines Shortages: Solutions for Empty Shelves developed in collaboration with patient groups and stakeholders, which examines the causes of medicine shortages and makes recommendations to mitigate and manage their impact.
The report is being presented to MPs and policymakers at Westminster today, at the Scottish Parliament on 28 November and at the Senedd on 04 December.
The letter states the strategy will require engagement by Government across the NHS and the whole of the medicines supply chain, including manufacturers, suppliers, health professions and patients.
It also highlights that delays in accessing medicines could be reduced by changing legislation to enable community pharmacists across the country to make minor amendments to prescriptions when medicines are in shortage. This call was most recently backed by the Health and Social Care Select Committee in its inquiry into pharmacy (recommendations 50 and 51) and is part of existing RPS policy on shortages.
Tase Oputu, Chair of RPS in England said:
“Medicine shortages can compromise care and so affect patients’ health. Medicines supply issues also have a hidden cost that impacts NHS services including increasing avoidable hospital admissions.
“Pharmacy teams across primary and secondary care experience huge frustration and additional workload from chasing down supplies for patients. Access to medicines is a fundamental right that underpins health. Patients, pharmacy teams and the NHS can wait no longer. The time for action is now.”
Read the letter.
Read the report: Medicines Shortages: Solutions for Empty Shelves.
Read more RPS news stories.