Norfolk patient group warns of no quick fix to medicine supply issues
Health experts have said the issues are being fuelled by "underlying fragilities" in both the global and UK medicine supply chain
A patient group in Norfolk is telling us there's no quick fix to emerging issues with the supply of some medicines.
Health experts have called for a review of the UK's medicine supply chain, after research found shortages of antibiotics for epilepsy are putting pressure on GPs and pharmacists.
"We have to recognise that there's costs to this"
Alex Stewart is chief executive of Healthwatch Norfolk:
"We're not currently hearing of any major issues in Norfolk, but that's not to say that they're not happening. Anyone who is struggling should get in touch, so we can try and sort it quickly.
"Whoever is in power, we have to recognise that there's costs to this and everyone involved has to work within those parameters.
"I think there have been problems over the years with things like this. But it was more about companies having some form of a cartel arrangement where they can hike prices. But that naturally affects everyone's budget and how much they spent."
The wider findings:
Research by academics and think tank The Nuffield Trust, which was funded by the Health Foundation, highlighted "underlying fragilities" in both the global and UK medicine supply chain.
It said while problems in the UK were not caused by Brexit, leaving the European Union (EU) has exacerbated them.
Researchers also found there is now more than double the number of notifications from drug companies warning of impending shortages.
Some 1,634 alerts were issued in 2023, up from 648 in 2020.
"We have fewer alternatives available"
Mark Dayan, Brexit programme lead at the Nuffield Trust, said:
"We know many of the problems are global and relate to fragile chains of imports from Asia, squeezed by Covid-19 shutdowns, inflation and global instability.
"Officials in the UK have put in place a much more sophisticated system to monitor and respond, and used extra payments to try to keep products flowing.
"But exiting the EU has left the UK with several additional problems - products no longer flow as smoothly across the borders with the EU, and in the long term our struggles to approve as many medicines might mean we have fewer alternatives available."
What's the Government said?
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said:
"There are around 14,000 licensed medicines and the overwhelming majority are in good supply.
"Medicine supply issues do not only affect the UK, and we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they do occur. That's why most supply issues have been swiftly managed with minimal disruption to patients.
"Our priority is to ensure patients continue to get the treatments they need, which is why we work with industry, the NHS, and others to ensure patients continue to have access to an alternative treatment until their usual product is back in stock."