A national patient safety alert has been issued warning of supply shortages for three medicines. Some experts are calling for changes to the law that would allow pharmacies to prescribe different doses depending on the patient’s prescription.
by Megan Harwood Baines, social affairs and health reporter @Meg Baines
Friday 29 September 2023 14:31, United Kingdom
The NHS said there was a shortage of some ADHD drugs due to “excessive growth in demand”.
A national patient safety alert has been issued warning of supply shortages for three medicines: methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine and guanfacine.
The supply disruption is being caused “by a combination of manufacturing issues and increased global demand.”
“Other ADHD products will continue to be available, but will not be able to meet the increased demand,” the warning said.
The issue is expected to be resolved between October and the end of the year.
Pharmacist and health expert Soran Govind said the law needs to be amended to allow pharmacies to administer different doses to patients until they reach the prescribed amount.
Currently, due to the controlled nature of this drug, if you need to fill a prescription for 20mg but only have 10mg tablets left, we cannot give you those tablets. That means patients have to try elsewhere or risk going without a prescription.
“Pharmacists need to be empowered to prescribe the total amount a patient needs,” she told Sky News.
“If there is no 20mg left, we would like to be able to provide two 10mg tablets.”
Instead, at this point, she needs to tell someone to “go to another pharmacy or go back to your prescriber and get a replacement.”
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Doctors told them to stop prescribing it
Doctors have been told not to prescribe the affected drugs to new patients until the shortage is resolved.
Health professionals are also being asked to check on patients who are currently taking their medication and how much medication they have left.
Mr Govind warned that people who abruptly stop behavioral therapy medications may experience “severe depression and fatigue.”
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Because ADHD medications are controlled substances, prescriptions are only valid for 28 days, which can cause further problems, she added.
If the pharmacy cannot provide the prescription in time, the patient must see a doctor.
What to do if you have trouble finding medicine
Govind said finding one that has your medication in stock may require calling multiple pharmacies.
“Different pharmacies have different drug sources,” she says. “So some people use a wider range of suppliers.”
She continued: ‘Next you’ll have to go back to your prescriber to find an alternative medication.
“The pharmacy team may be able to advise you on what is in stock, but in some cases there are scenarios where we advise you on what is in stock and by the time your prescription arrives, you come back again, and it is out of stock.
“So I think ultimately prescribers need to offer another option.”
