January 15th 2025

By Ailsa Colquhoun

MPs launch medicines shortages inquiry

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Pharmacy has launched an inquiry into the impact of medicines shortages in England, the contributing factors and potential solutions.  

This inquiry comes in response to the growing concerns surrounding medicines shortages and their impact on patient care in the UK, including dispensary teams’ ability to dispense medicines in a timely way. The APPG is aiming to develop practical recommendations to address this ongoing challenge and its impact.

On December 13, 2024, a man died after his pharmacy ran out of his epilepsy medication. In a report on the death of David Crompton of Leeds, the coroner stressed that it is important that anti-epileptic medication is obtained and supplied promptly. He also recommended that the pharmaceutical profession should have clear designated systems to deal with shortages of supply encountered.

The call for evidence is open to all those impacted by medicines shortages including GPs and prescribers, patient groups, professional organisations and medicines manufacturers and distributors.

The DDA supports use of the NHS England Guide to Managing Medicines Supply and Shortages. 

In a recent response to a Health and Social Care committee inquiry on pharmacy, DHSC partially accepted a number of recommendations designed to ease medicine shortages but rejected proposals to introduce generic substitution by pharmacies.

However, there is interest in relaxing other dispensing restrictions on pharmacists following the death of a toddler due to sepsis and where antibiotic shortages were cited by the coroner's report.

The survey for GP teams should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete.  The questionnaire should be submitted by Friday 24 January 2025.

Should you have any questions about the call to evidence please email the secretariat of the APPG.