The RCP has responded to a report by the Nuffield Trust revealing global supply problems for some medicines.
The Nuffield Trust’s report highlights shortages in drugs including antibiotics and epilepsy medication due to global problems with supply chains. While the report shows that the EU Exit has not caused the recent spike in medicine shortages, it concludes that it is likely to have significantly weakened the UK’s ability to counter those supply issues by splitting it from European supply chains, authorisations and collective efforts to respond to shortages.
Commenting on the report, Dr Andrew Rochford, RCP’s improvement clinical director, said:
“The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is aware of shortages in medicine and medical equipment; these incidents appear to be on the increase. The RCP will be investigating this further through the Medicines Safety Joint Working Group, a joint collaboration between the RCP, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, British Pharmacological Society, Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of General Practitioners and NHS England.”