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New Government guidance on supply of medicines!

I have been corresponding with my local MP of Spelthorne re the problem I have been having in sourcing Imatinib, due to it being sold on to other countries and creating a local shortage.

He has been very helpful and has just forwarded a letter from Mike O'Brien - the Minister of the Department of Health who made reassuring statements...

1)The Govt is working with the whole chain of suppliers

2) The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer wrote to all hospitals in England last year saying it 'was wholly unacceptable for NHS hospitals to trade in medicines as it threatened patient care'.

3)The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has also made clear its position in a law and ethics bulletin stating that parallel exporting risks being a breach of pharmacists Code of Ethics

4) The Govt recently issued new guidance, available on the Dept's website at www.dh.gov.uk by searching '12995'

5) They are improving formal reporting arrangements to quickly identify any potential shortages

6) On March 2nd Mike O'Brien and Andy Burnham hosted a summit with all those involved in the supply of medicines and a commitment was made to ensure supplies reaching patients with on-going regulatory action, including inspection, to reinforce the responsibility of all these bodies.

I have felt reassured by this correspondence and I hope others do to.

Keep well
Beth

My husband put his 3 month prescription in at the local chemist and expeted the usual 1 months supply but got the full 3 months. Seems that Novartis are allowing the full prescription again.

I have also had 3 month's supply this time, but only after Novartis had been sent a copy of my prescription to show that I am a bone-fide patient. My local chemist tried the wholesaler first, and was told they did not have any stock, but Novartis were very helpful when she contacted them direct.

Janet

Until recently I was only able to get 1 months supply of Dasatinib due to only having monthly appointments. I have just been changed to an appointment every 2 months and I now get my drugs delivered to me (anywhere in the UK apparently via a delivery firm!) in full 2 month supplies.
K