Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Deferred
Commission an independent review of the medicines supply chain, including resilience and generic availability.
Recommendation
The Government should commission an independent review of the medicines supply chain. Given the impact that shortages are having, this should be commissioned as soon as possible and completed within 6 months of starting. The review should assess, and suggest ways of improving, the resilience of the supply chain, the performance and role of the MHRA and the impact of prices paid for medicines and community pharmacy reimbursement mechanisms. We recommend a particular focus on the availability and use of generic medicines, though the review should not be limited to these. (Paragraph 64) Extending pharmacy services
Government response summary AI-generated
The government discusses past and present pharmacy funding mechanisms, including the phased-out establishment payment and the Pharmacy First monthly payment, without addressing the recommendation to commission an independent review of the medicines supply chain.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
The Committee raises an interesting point. Medicine supply chains are highly regulated, complex and global. Supply disruption affects many countries around the world and is not specific to the UK. Issues with the medicines supply chain can occur for a number of reasons, most commonly due to manufacturing difficulties, regulatory noncompliance, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues. DHSC and NHS England do not routinely procure or supply medicines but do have a responsibility to manage medicine supply issues, help to prevent shortages and minimise risk to patients when they occur. Whilst supply issues can’t always be prevented, there are a range of well-established tools and processes already in place to mitigate risks to patients and successfully bring shortages to resolution, such as Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs). The resilience of UK supply chains is a key priority, and we are continually learning and seeking to improve the way we work to both manage and help prevent supply issues and avoid shortages for patients. The Department, working closely with NHS England, is taking forward a range of actions to improve our ability to mitigate and manage shortages and strengthen our resilience. However, medicine shortages are a complex and global issue and everyone in the supply chain has a role to play in addressing them – any action will require a collaborative approach. We acknowledge the recommendation in the report to commission an independent review of the medicines chain and will keep this under consideration as part of response arrangements already underway to improve the way medicine supply issues are managed. Extending pharmacy services
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