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Medscape
09-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Medicines Shortages Cost NHS £220 Million, MPs Warn
Medicines shortages in England have become a 'chronic, structural challenge', according to a new report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Pharmacy. MPs and peers warned that supply problems are disrupting care, risking patient safety, and putting further strain on NHS services. 'What was once considered an occasional inconvenience is now a daily reality in pharmacies across the country,' said APPG chair Steve Race MP in a foreword to the group's report. Widespread Disruption and Added Costs The report estimated that medicines shortages cost the NHS an extra £220 million in 2022–2023. Nearly all pharmacists surveyed (96%) said they were spending more time managing supply problems, with 40% devoting 1–2 hours each day to the task. Nine in 10 reported a drop in patient satisfaction, and almost two-thirds said they had to contact prescribers multiple times daily to resolve issues. Medscape News UK recently reported how continuing shortages had become a 'new normal' for pharmacists and patients, with the supply chain 'at breaking point'. 'The impact on frontline care is stark,' the group's report said. Treatments for ADHD, epilepsy, menopause, diabetes, and bacterial infections were among those being disrupted. In some cases, the shortages were leading to treatment delays, drug rationing, and adverse health outcomes, especially for those with chronic conditions. The APPG cited a 'complex interplay' of causes behind the shortages. These included manufacturing issues, supply chain vulnerabilities, increased demand, and geopolitical events. The global nature of pharmaceutical supply chains means that disruptions in one region can have knock-on consequences elsewhere. Economic factors — such as pricing pressures and market consolidation — have further contributed to the crisis, according to the report. Biosecurity Threat and Policy Limitations In March, the Centre for Long-Term Resilience warned that the UK remained 'perilously vulnerable' to medicine supply shocks. Shortages of antimicrobials, vaccines, and diagnostic tools could leave the country unprepared for biosecurity threats. Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) allow pharmacists to exercise their judgement to make limited substitutions or supply a reduced quantity that is in stock. Pharmacists are also allowed to offer clinical pathway consultations and provide treatments for seven common conditions under the Pharmacy First scheme. However, most prescriptions still require GPs to issue a revised prescription – even if an equivalent medicine is in stock. Calls for Urgent Reform The APPG report made 12 urgent recommendations. These include: Allowing pharmacists to substitute doses or formulations during shortages Expanding UK-based medicines manufacturing Creating a real-time, UK-wide drug shortage communication system Potential Serious Risks to Patient Safety Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, said the findings reflected the reality faced by pharmacy teams. 'Ongoing shortages of medicine causes huge challenges for patients and pharmacies alike, and in certain cases pose a serious risk to patient safety,' he said. Gregg said that pharmacy teams were under 'enormous pressure', spending hours hunting down stock for 'distressed and frustrated patients'. He backed calls for pharmacists to be permitted to exercise their professional judgment to supply an appropriate alternative medication when the prescribed version is unavailable. 'It is particularly frustrating for pharmacists to be unable to meet a clear need when they have a perfectly safe and effective solution in their pharmacy already,' Gregg said. He added: 'MPs are right that it is madness to send someone back to their GP to get a prescription changed, and it risks a patient either delaying taking vital medication or forgoing it altogether – which poses a clear risk to patient safety.'
Powys County Times
08-07-2025
- Health
- Powys County Times
Medicine shortages put patients at risk, MPs and peers warn
Patients are facing serious harm from persistent and widespread medicine shortages, MPs and peers have warned. A new report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on pharmacy called for urgent action to ensure shortages do not become the 'new normal'. It also highlights the impact that shortages are having on patients with the likes of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), menopause and diabetes. Writing in the report, Steve Race, chairman of the APPG on pharmacy, said many MPs 'have received a growing volume of correspondence from constituents who are understandably anxious about the availability of their medicines'. 'Whether it is a parent unable to access antibiotics for a sick child, an elderly patient facing delays in obtaining life-sustaining medication, or a pharmacist overwhelmed by the need to source alternatives, the human impact is both visible and deeply troubling,' he wrote. The report said that while medicine shortages are 'not a new phenomenon', they have 'become increasingly severe, persistent, and disruptive' in recent years – leading to consequences for patients, staff and the wider health service. Mr Race said: 'Medicines shortages have moved from isolated incidents to a chronic structural challenge for both the NHS and pharmacy sector. 'As Government continues to recognise and invest in the expanded clinical role of community pharmacy, we must ensure the medicines supply chain underpinning that care is equally robust, resilient and patient-focused. 'Pharmacy is central to NHS recovery and transformation, but frontline teams cannot safely expand clinical services while daily supply disruptions continue to impact the health of patients.' The findings also highlight how shortages severely impact patients with conditions like ADHD, menopause and diabetes. More than nine in 10 pharmacists, GPs and prescribers told an APPG survey ADHD medicines had been affected by shortages. Around three quarters (76%) said HRT and diabetes drugs had been affected, while 44% said antibiotics. One patient with ADHD told the inquiry they had been self-medicating with cannabis due to an ongoing shortage of methylphenidate. The report said: 'These shortages are having a significant impact on patients' ability to access treatments and in some cases are having serious impact on patients' health and well-being.' Mr Race added: 'Medicines security must be treated as a core component of NHS planning, alongside funding, workforce and digital infrastructure. 'Failure to act risks further undermining patient care and destabilising a community pharmacy sector that millions depend upon.' The APPG has laid out a number of recommendations, which includes a number of measures to better support patients. People impacted by shortages, particularly those with chronic conditions, struggle to find information on out of stock drugs, leading to 'frustration, dangerous delays in care, and unnecessary anxiety and harm', it said. It also welcomed work being carried out by the Department of Health and Social Care to potentially change pharmacist prescribing protocols to allow pharmacists to make dose and formulation changes during shortages. Elsewhere, the inquiry found more than eight in 10 pharmacists face daily shortages, with many spending hours every day finding alternative treatment and communicating with distressed patients. One told the APPG they are 'constantly firefighting'. Reacting to the report, Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), said: 'Pharmacy teams are under enormous pressure but are forced to spend hours hunting down stock for distressed and frustrated patients. 'It is particularly frustrating for pharmacists to be unable to meet a clear need when they have a perfectly safe and effective solution in their pharmacy already. 'MPs are right that it is madness to send someone back to their GP to get a prescription changed, and it risks a patient either delaying taking vital medication or forgoing it altogether, which poses a clear risk to patient safety. 'As the APPG says, the Government must allow pharmacists – who are highly trained health care practitioners – to use their professional judgment to supply an appropriate alternative medication when the prescribed version is unavailable.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'This government inherited ongoing global supply problems, but we have robust measures in place to mitigate disruption for patients. 'We are working to build the resilience of medicine supply chains and prevent future disruption as we get the NHS back on its feet. 'We have recently agreed an extra £617 million of funding over two years with Community Pharmacy England to support the sector and provide patients with more services closer to home as part of our 10 Year Health Plan.'
South Wales Guardian
08-07-2025
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
Medicine shortages put patients at risk, MPs and peers warn
A new report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on pharmacy called for urgent action to ensure shortages do not become the 'new normal'. It also highlights the impact that shortages are having on patients with the likes of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), menopause and diabetes. Writing in the report, Steve Race, chairman of the APPG on pharmacy, said many MPs 'have received a growing volume of correspondence from constituents who are understandably anxious about the availability of their medicines'. 'Whether it is a parent unable to access antibiotics for a sick child, an elderly patient facing delays in obtaining life-sustaining medication, or a pharmacist overwhelmed by the need to source alternatives, the human impact is both visible and deeply troubling,' he wrote. The report said that while medicine shortages are 'not a new phenomenon', they have 'become increasingly severe, persistent, and disruptive' in recent years – leading to consequences for patients, staff and the wider health service. Mr Race said: 'Medicines shortages have moved from isolated incidents to a chronic structural challenge for both the NHS and pharmacy sector. 'As Government continues to recognise and invest in the expanded clinical role of community pharmacy, we must ensure the medicines supply chain underpinning that care is equally robust, resilient and patient-focused. 'Pharmacy is central to NHS recovery and transformation, but frontline teams cannot safely expand clinical services while daily supply disruptions continue to impact the health of patients.' The findings also highlight how shortages severely impact patients with conditions like ADHD, menopause and diabetes. More than nine in 10 pharmacists, GPs and prescribers told an APPG survey ADHD medicines had been affected by shortages. Around three quarters (76%) said HRT and diabetes drugs had been affected, while 44% said antibiotics. One patient with ADHD told the inquiry they had been self-medicating with cannabis due to an ongoing shortage of methylphenidate. The report said: 'These shortages are having a significant impact on patients' ability to access treatments and in some cases are having serious impact on patients' health and well-being.' Mr Race added: 'Medicines security must be treated as a core component of NHS planning, alongside funding, workforce and digital infrastructure. 'Failure to act risks further undermining patient care and destabilising a community pharmacy sector that millions depend upon.' The APPG has laid out a number of recommendations, which includes a number of measures to better support patients. People impacted by shortages, particularly those with chronic conditions, struggle to find information on out of stock drugs, leading to 'frustration, dangerous delays in care, and unnecessary anxiety and harm', it said. It also welcomed work being carried out by the Department of Health and Social Care to potentially change pharmacist prescribing protocols to allow pharmacists to make dose and formulation changes during shortages. Elsewhere, the inquiry found more than eight in 10 pharmacists face daily shortages, with many spending hours every day finding alternative treatment and communicating with distressed patients. One told the APPG they are 'constantly firefighting'. Reacting to the report, Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), said: 'Pharmacy teams are under enormous pressure but are forced to spend hours hunting down stock for distressed and frustrated patients. 'It is particularly frustrating for pharmacists to be unable to meet a clear need when they have a perfectly safe and effective solution in their pharmacy already. 'MPs are right that it is madness to send someone back to their GP to get a prescription changed, and it risks a patient either delaying taking vital medication or forgoing it altogether, which poses a clear risk to patient safety. 'As the APPG says, the Government must allow pharmacists – who are highly trained health care practitioners – to use their professional judgment to supply an appropriate alternative medication when the prescribed version is unavailable.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'This government inherited ongoing global supply problems, but we have robust measures in place to mitigate disruption for patients. 'We are working to build the resilience of medicine supply chains and prevent future disruption as we get the NHS back on its feet. 'We have recently agreed an extra £617 million of funding over two years with Community Pharmacy England to support the sector and provide patients with more services closer to home as part of our 10 Year Health Plan.'
North Wales Chronicle
08-07-2025
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Medicine shortages put patients at risk, MPs and peers warn
A new report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on pharmacy called for urgent action to ensure shortages do not become the 'new normal'. It also highlights the impact that shortages are having on patients with the likes of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), menopause and diabetes. Writing in the report, Steve Race, chairman of the APPG on pharmacy, said many MPs 'have received a growing volume of correspondence from constituents who are understandably anxious about the availability of their medicines'. 'Whether it is a parent unable to access antibiotics for a sick child, an elderly patient facing delays in obtaining life-sustaining medication, or a pharmacist overwhelmed by the need to source alternatives, the human impact is both visible and deeply troubling,' he wrote. The report said that while medicine shortages are 'not a new phenomenon', they have 'become increasingly severe, persistent, and disruptive' in recent years – leading to consequences for patients, staff and the wider health service. Mr Race said: 'Medicines shortages have moved from isolated incidents to a chronic structural challenge for both the NHS and pharmacy sector. 'As Government continues to recognise and invest in the expanded clinical role of community pharmacy, we must ensure the medicines supply chain underpinning that care is equally robust, resilient and patient-focused. 'Pharmacy is central to NHS recovery and transformation, but frontline teams cannot safely expand clinical services while daily supply disruptions continue to impact the health of patients.' The findings also highlight how shortages severely impact patients with conditions like ADHD, menopause and diabetes. More than nine in 10 pharmacists, GPs and prescribers told an APPG survey ADHD medicines had been affected by shortages. Around three quarters (76%) said HRT and diabetes drugs had been affected, while 44% said antibiotics. One patient with ADHD told the inquiry they had been self-medicating with cannabis due to an ongoing shortage of methylphenidate. The report said: 'These shortages are having a significant impact on patients' ability to access treatments and in some cases are having serious impact on patients' health and well-being.' Mr Race added: 'Medicines security must be treated as a core component of NHS planning, alongside funding, workforce and digital infrastructure. 'Failure to act risks further undermining patient care and destabilising a community pharmacy sector that millions depend upon.' The APPG has laid out a number of recommendations, which includes a number of measures to better support patients. People impacted by shortages, particularly those with chronic conditions, struggle to find information on out of stock drugs, leading to 'frustration, dangerous delays in care, and unnecessary anxiety and harm', it said. It also welcomed work being carried out by the Department of Health and Social Care to potentially change pharmacist prescribing protocols to allow pharmacists to make dose and formulation changes during shortages. Elsewhere, the inquiry found more than eight in 10 pharmacists face daily shortages, with many spending hours every day finding alternative treatment and communicating with distressed patients. One told the APPG they are 'constantly firefighting'. Reacting to the report, Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), said: 'Pharmacy teams are under enormous pressure but are forced to spend hours hunting down stock for distressed and frustrated patients. 'It is particularly frustrating for pharmacists to be unable to meet a clear need when they have a perfectly safe and effective solution in their pharmacy already. 'MPs are right that it is madness to send someone back to their GP to get a prescription changed, and it risks a patient either delaying taking vital medication or forgoing it altogether, which poses a clear risk to patient safety. 'As the APPG says, the Government must allow pharmacists – who are highly trained health care practitioners – to use their professional judgment to supply an appropriate alternative medication when the prescribed version is unavailable.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'This government inherited ongoing global supply problems, but we have robust measures in place to mitigate disruption for patients. 'We are working to build the resilience of medicine supply chains and prevent future disruption as we get the NHS back on its feet. 'We have recently agreed an extra £617 million of funding over two years with Community Pharmacy England to support the sector and provide patients with more services closer to home as part of our 10 Year Health Plan.'
Leader Live
08-07-2025
- Health
- Leader Live
Medicine shortages put patients at risk, MPs and peers warn
A new report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on pharmacy called for urgent action to ensure shortages do not become the 'new normal'. It also highlights the impact that shortages are having on patients with the likes of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), menopause and diabetes. Writing in the report, Steve Race, chairman of the APPG on pharmacy, said many MPs 'have received a growing volume of correspondence from constituents who are understandably anxious about the availability of their medicines'. 'Whether it is a parent unable to access antibiotics for a sick child, an elderly patient facing delays in obtaining life-sustaining medication, or a pharmacist overwhelmed by the need to source alternatives, the human impact is both visible and deeply troubling,' he wrote. The report said that while medicine shortages are 'not a new phenomenon', they have 'become increasingly severe, persistent, and disruptive' in recent years – leading to consequences for patients, staff and the wider health service. Mr Race said: 'Medicines shortages have moved from isolated incidents to a chronic structural challenge for both the NHS and pharmacy sector. 'As Government continues to recognise and invest in the expanded clinical role of community pharmacy, we must ensure the medicines supply chain underpinning that care is equally robust, resilient and patient-focused. 'Pharmacy is central to NHS recovery and transformation, but frontline teams cannot safely expand clinical services while daily supply disruptions continue to impact the health of patients.' The findings also highlight how shortages severely impact patients with conditions like ADHD, menopause and diabetes. More than nine in 10 pharmacists, GPs and prescribers told an APPG survey ADHD medicines had been affected by shortages. Around three quarters (76%) said HRT and diabetes drugs had been affected, while 44% said antibiotics. One patient with ADHD told the inquiry they had been self-medicating with cannabis due to an ongoing shortage of methylphenidate. The report said: 'These shortages are having a significant impact on patients' ability to access treatments and in some cases are having serious impact on patients' health and well-being.' Mr Race added: 'Medicines security must be treated as a core component of NHS planning, alongside funding, workforce and digital infrastructure. 'Failure to act risks further undermining patient care and destabilising a community pharmacy sector that millions depend upon.' The APPG has laid out a number of recommendations, which includes a number of measures to better support patients. People impacted by shortages, particularly those with chronic conditions, struggle to find information on out of stock drugs, leading to 'frustration, dangerous delays in care, and unnecessary anxiety and harm', it said. It also welcomed work being carried out by the Department of Health and Social Care to potentially change pharmacist prescribing protocols to allow pharmacists to make dose and formulation changes during shortages. Elsewhere, the inquiry found more than eight in 10 pharmacists face daily shortages, with many spending hours every day finding alternative treatment and communicating with distressed patients. One told the APPG they are 'constantly firefighting'. Reacting to the report, Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), said: 'Pharmacy teams are under enormous pressure but are forced to spend hours hunting down stock for distressed and frustrated patients. 'It is particularly frustrating for pharmacists to be unable to meet a clear need when they have a perfectly safe and effective solution in their pharmacy already. 'MPs are right that it is madness to send someone back to their GP to get a prescription changed, and it risks a patient either delaying taking vital medication or forgoing it altogether, which poses a clear risk to patient safety. 'As the APPG says, the Government must allow pharmacists – who are highly trained health care practitioners – to use their professional judgment to supply an appropriate alternative medication when the prescribed version is unavailable.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'This government inherited ongoing global supply problems, but we have robust measures in place to mitigate disruption for patients. 'We are working to build the resilience of medicine supply chains and prevent future disruption as we get the NHS back on its feet. 'We have recently agreed an extra £617 million of funding over two years with Community Pharmacy England to support the sector and provide patients with more services closer to home as part of our 10 Year Health Plan.'
