20 organisations call on Wes Streeting to create medicine shortages strategy

They advocate for empowering pharmacists to be able to make appropriate substitutions to help manage medicine shortages  

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) in England and 19 other organisations have written to health secretary Wes Streeting, calling for a cohesive cross-government strategy to tackle medicine shortages across the UK.

The letter stresses the need for actions to build supply chain resilience, support UK manufacturing, improve data connectivity, protect access to life-critical medicines, and reduce duplication across the NHS.

As the government works on its 10-Year NHS Plan, the signatories emphasise the importance of ensuring patients' continued access to vital medicines, which are “an investment in their health.”

They underscore that the strategy would require engagement by the government across the NHS and the whole of the medicines supply chain, including manufacturers, suppliers, health professions, and patients.

The letter also highlights that delays in accessing medicines could be reduced by changing legislation to empower community pharmacists to make minor amendments to prescriptions when shortages occur.

RPS noted that this recommendation is part of its existing policy on shortages, and was also most recently backed by the Health and Social Care Select Committee in its inquiry into pharmacy (recommendations 50 and 51).

Tase Oputu, chair of RPS in England, emphasised the urgent need for action, stating, “Medicine shortages can compromise care and so affect patients’ health.

“Medicines supply issues also have a hidden cost that impacts NHS services including increasing avoidable hospital admissions.”

She acknowledged that pharmacy teams across primary and secondary care experience huge “frustration and additional workload” from chasing down supplies for patients.

“Access to medicines is a fundamental right that underpins health. Patients, pharmacy teams and the NHS can wait no longer. The time for action is now,” she added.

RPS Scotland and RPS Wales have also sent letters to the cabinet secretaries for health and social care in Scotland and Wales.

The letter follows the release of the RPS report Medicines Shortages: Solutions for Empty Shelves, developed in collaboration with patient groups and stakeholders. The report outlines the root causes of medicine shortages and offers recommendations to mitigate and manage their impact.

The findings will be presented to MPs and policymakers at Westminster today (27 November), the Scottish Parliament on 28 November, and the Senedd on 4 December.