Health written question – answered at on 19 March 2012.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons his Department does not hold information centrally on shortages of prescription drugs.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2012, Official Report, column 625W, on pharmacy: databases, for what reasons his Department does not maintain its own list of branded medicines in short supply.
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee collates reports from pharmacy contractors on medicines that they have had difficulty sourcing and publishes the Branded Shortages List on their website:
www.psnc.org.uk/pages/problem_medicines_list.html
The Department carefully monitors shortages of medicines but does not systematically collect information on all shortages. We are cautious about placing additional data return burdens on pharmacists.
Yes1 person thinks so
No1 person thinks not
Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.