UK issues supply chain guide to prevent drug shortages

Drug shortages have become a concern in the UK​, in part because of the impact of parallel trade on demand. Actions manufacturers, as well as wholesalers, pharmacies and prescribers, can take to mitigate spikes in demand are proposed in UK Department of Health guidance​.

“Patients can suffer distress and inconvenience if supplies of medicines are disrupted. Increased demand for UK stock can occur for a number of reasons including from parallel trade of branded medicines and can cause difficulties in managing the supply chain​”, says the document.

Manufacturers should hold “a reasonable volume of buffer stock​”​to ensure supply during periods of fluctuating demand. Quotas can be used to ensure fair distribution during spikes in demand, says the document, but manufacturers should ensure these are set equitably.

Communication with wholesalers and distributors is also important. Forging a close relationship through appointment of a single point of contact gives both parties and understanding of shifts in product supply and demand.

The benefits of working closely with wholesalers will also be realised if product supplies run out. Contingency arrangements, either working with wholesalers or delivering direct to pharmacies, should be in place to ensure an effective response in the event of running out of stock.

Martin Astbury, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), welcomed the guidance but warned that patient care “will continue to suffer​” if implementation of the recommendations is ineffective.

“The real test will be how effectively it is implemented by all parties, particularly the focus of the Scottish Government, the Welsh Assembly and the Department of Health on making the supply chain work for patients​”, said Astbury.

Scottish supply​

Publication of the guidance follows snow-caused supply disruption in Scotland. In December 2010 the weather exposed a “brittle​”​supply chain that “cannot flex with increases in demand or logistical challenges​”, said Alex MacKinnon, director for RPS Scotland.

“Our survey of community pharmacists in Scotland released today shows that 97 per cent of respondents think there are structural issues within the medicines supply chain, such as a reliance on single wholesalers for a number of medicines​”, said MacKinnon.

The survey of pharmacists also found: 92 per cent were unable to dispense a prescription in December because of supply issues; 86 per cent think the distribution service has deteriorated; and 69 per cent rated the system during the snow as poor or awful.