Jeremy Miles MS, Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Services
Any disruption to the supply of a medicine is a concern to the people who need to take it, their carers, and the clinicians overseeing their care.
Fortunately, supply disruptions affect only a very small proportion of medicines used in the NHS and, in the majority of cases, when shortages do occur, they can be managed without people experiencing any interruption in supply.
For a range of reasons, in recent years, we have experienced more frequent supply disruptions to medicines and, in some cases, these have become more significant, meaning more people have experienced difficulties in obtaining the medicines they are prescribed. In the last two years there have been significant supply disruptions affecting hormone replacement therapy (HRT), some medicines used in the treatment of diabetes, medicines for the management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT).
The causes of these disruptions are wide ranging and include increased demand, which exceeds manufacturers’ capacity to produce a particular medicine; disruption to the supply of raw materials, and problems encountered during the manufacturing process.
Many of these causes are outside the direct control of either the Welsh Government or the UK Government, which is responsible for maintaining the continuity of supply of medicines to the UK. The Welsh Government works closely with the UK Government, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, health boards, GPs and pharmacies to minimise supply disruptions when they occur and to manage the implications of these for peoples in Wales.
Through our actions, the overall supply position in respect of HRT and ADHD medicines has improved. However, the supply for some particular types of HRT and ADHD medications may still be disrupted and availability remains intermittent.
I recognise the uncertainty associated with supply disruptions can be a source of frustration and anxiety for those affected. To help improve the information available, we have published a webpage explaining the reasons for medicines shortages and the types of actions we take with the NHS, prescribers and pharmacists to minimise the impact of disruptions.
Today, I am launching a more detailed webpage, with information about specific medicines which are experiencing shortages and where supply disruptions are likely to affect a significant number of people or persist for an extended period of time. The information will explain why the disruption has occurred, what we and our partners are doing to resolve the disruption, and the actions people can take if they have difficulty in getting their prescription dispensed. This is available at: Medicines shortages | GOV.WALES.
Information is available here about HRT, PERT and ADHD medicines. These pages will be regularly updated as information becomes available.