DHSC outlines work to improve medicines supply

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published details of its ongoing work and plans to improve the management of medicines supply issues. This includes a commitment to consulting on the introduction of pharmacist flexibilities to supply alternatives when a medicine is in short supply.

The new policy paper, Managing a robust and resilient supply of medicine, outlines:

• How the medicine supply chain operates
• How DHSC manage medicine supply issues
• Annual trends and patterns of medicine shortage issues
• Plans to strengthen the approach to resilience of medicines supply chains

DHSC has highlighted several actions the Government will take to tackle medicine shortages, including earlier identification of potential disruptions and producing information guides. These steps aim to protect patients and support a more resilient and sustainable medicine supply chain.

To improve patient access to medicines, DHSC has proposed to consult on new measures to enable community pharmacists to supply an alternative strength, quantity or formulation of a prescribed medicine without requiring a new prescription. Community Pharmacy England welcomes DHSC’s proposals to introduce these pharmacist flexibilities, as a positive step forward to recognise the clinical expertise of pharmacists and their vital role in maintaining continuity of care during disruptions to medicine supplies.

Community Pharmacy England has long advocated for improvements in the medicines supply chain, and our recent Medicine Supply Report highlighted increasing frustration among pharmacy teams over the significant time spent managing medicine shortages. It also raised patient safety concerns, particularly when patients with complex conditions are unable to access their prescribed treatments. Community Pharmacy England called for the following actions:

• Continued progress to investigate and improve medicine supply chain resilience, from manufacturing through to community pharmacy supply to patients.
• Implementation of measures to give pharmacists more flexibility in making strength, quantity and formulation changes where there are supply issues, for the benefit of patients.
• Progress on work to look at ensuring fair access to margin, for instance, looking at branded generics.

Whilst, DHSC’s policy paper seeks to address some of the pharmacy sector’s concerns, it does not deal with the gaps in funding to improve supply chain resilience.  The supply chain is struggling to operate effectively given the UK’s low-price environment, and with margin spread more thinly as dispensing volumes and pricing issues increase, this is further intensifying the intolerable financial pressures on community pharmacies. We are seeking further discussions with DHSC on pharmacy-related medicines supply concerns and will continue to work with its Medicines Supply Team to monitor and address ongoing supply disruptions.