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Branded medicines shortages

Excellent resource on PSNC website

Dr Allan Tennant reports

20th of July 2010

 

Dispensing doctors will have recently been experiencing the frustration of the Sinemet shortages, which are going to continue into next year.

MSD have nominated Alliance Healthcare as sole supplier of:

  • Sinemet ® 62.5 Tablets- no generic available

and the following, for which a generic versions is available

  • Sinemet ® PLUS Tablets
    Sinemet ® CR 200/50 mg Prolonged-Release Tablets 

  • Half Sinemet ® CR 100/25mg Prolonged Release Tablets

 

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee website has a Branded Medicine Shortages  page.

 

They provide a list of drugs currently being reported as being in short supply and a details of contingency arrangements with telephone numbers.

 

Adrian Sanders(Torbay, Liberal Democrats) sandersa@parliament.uk is the most recent MP to ask minsters "what recent discussions he has had with pharmaceutical manufacturers on their quotas for the supply of medicines and drugs to the NHS in England."

He also asked "what assessment his Department has made of the number of patients who had to wait more than 48 hours to be dispensed medicines after presenting prescriptions to a pharmacy or dispensing doctor in the latest period for which figures are available."

 

Simon Burns responding on behalf of the government said, "Departmental officials regularly meet with supply chain and manufacturer representatives to discuss issues affecting the supply of medicines."

 

 

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