C+D plans action to sort out your pharmacy stock shortages
In Mr Lansley's defence, his comments were actually true – the government has worked with the industry to tackle stock shortages, most notably through the medicines supply chain group set up in February 2010 by then pharmacy minister Mike O'Brien.
The group has met on a quarterly basis since its launch, with everything from bearing down on exporting pharmacists to sharing best manufacturer practice on its agenda. And you would struggle to have missed the supply chain guidance Department of Health (DH) officials published in February of this year, which stated that pharmacists should receive medicines within 24 hours of ordering them, and set out standards for all members of the supply chain to work to.
The problem notably ignored by Mr Lansley though, is that none of this has particularly helped. Pharmacists continue to report stock shortages (see Stock shortages: where we are now, left) and the problem isn't going away – if pharmacists aren't complaining about it loudly, that's just because they're getting on with sourcing medicines and helping their patients. As NPA chief executive Mike Holden puts it: "What makes me angry is that the situation has become so embedded in practice that some pharmacists have come to accept this as just another cross to bear."
Admittedly the pharmacy minister (and presumably the DH) does seem to recognise that there is more to be done. DH officials continue to meet with industry stakeholders, and Earl Howe has ruled out further regulation on the supply chain. The trouble is that if we're going to be relying on his medicines supply chain group to deliver such changes, we could be waiting a very long time.
Minutes of the meetings of the supply chain group obtained by C+D using the freedom of information act show that it took an astonishing seven months to pull together the guidance document published in February. And as if the sheer inefficiency isn't enough, despite all the apparent deliberations over it, those working on it didn't even think it was going to work.
When the group met after publication, a department official said they recognised that the "guidance alone would not solve all the problems in ensuring patients received the medicines they need".
It must surely be as frustrating for pharmacy stakeholders attending the meetings as it is for pharmacists and patients suffering the effects on the ground. And confirmation that officials are now working on ways to monitor whether the supply chain guidance is being met will be little comfort.
Earl Howe also says he won't take further action on stock shortages unless he has evidence that patients are being harmed by the problems and that more regulation is the best solution. This does beg a question over exactly how much evidence of patient harm the pharmacy minister needs, but as nobody has managed to convince him so far, and the supply chain group lumbers on, C+D has launched a stock survey to try to make the case for action.
By comparing the results of the survey to last year's we'll be able to show exactly how much impact the February guidance has had, which might make sobering reading for those involved in writing it. But as usual, we can't do it without your help – we need you to complete the form opposite and post or fax it back to us, then we'll do the sums and take the outcomes to the DH.
If evidence is the only way to get more action, let's give Mr Lansley some he can't afford to ignore.
Take part in the C+D Stocks Survey 2011.
