Increase in number of medicines recalls
Pharmacy press
Following reports that the number of medicines recalled by manufacturers due to defects has increased 153% in the UK since 2017, we were asked to comment on what this increase in medicines recalls means for pharmacy teams.
Alastair Buxton, Director of NHS Services, said:
“Medicine recalls are a vital tool to protect patients and pharmacies have well practised procedures for handling them. Whilst a rise in the number of medicines subject to recalls is concerning, it is positive to see that the MHRA is doing its job by working to minimise any risks to patient safety.
Handling recalls is important but ultimately unfunded work that our members are entrusted with, and is a role they take very seriously. However, more recalls mean additional workload being placed on already overstretched pharmacy teams needing to identify affected stock to return to suppliers and dealing with queries from patients who received affected medicines. Patient safety is, and will remain, a central concern for medicines supply, and our members will continue to do everything they can to keep their patients from harm.”