Prescription Drugs

Decisions about what medicines to prescribe, including whether to prescribe by brand name or generically, are clinical decisions made following discussion with a patient.

Where a prescriber specifies a particular brand or supplier because it is clinically necessary, for example due to side effects or allergies, pharmacies are required to dispense that specific product.

Medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes, or distribution issues and regulatory issues. There are approximately 14,000 licensed medicines and the overwhelming majority are in good supply.

While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise and mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing National Health Service communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand.