Government to monitor impact of coronavirus on UK medicine supply

[helvella]

The current government advice/information about UK medicine supplies is pretty positive.

Specifically, no known shortages due to corona virus.

News story

Government to monitor impact of coronavirus on UK medicine supply

The Department of Health and Social Care is evaluating the potential impact of coronavirus on the supply of medicines and medical goods.

Published 11 February 2020

The Chinese government continues to impose further restrictions on movement within China in response to the coronavirus outbreak, including on flight and rail travel.

To relieve potential pressures on global supply chains, suppliers have been asked to carry out a risk assessment on the impact of coronavirus on their business.

As an extra precaution, companies have also been asked to retain existing stockpiles of medical supplies, compiled as a contingency measure ahead of our exit from the EU, where possible.

There are no current medicine shortages in the UK linked to the situation in China but the UK government is taking precautionary measures to help continue the uninterrupted supply of medicines to patients in the UK.

Health Minister Nicola Blackwood said:

"We are not aware of any current medicine shortages linked to this novel coronavirus, but we are putting in place common-sense measures as a precaution to help to ensure the uninterrupted supply of medicines to UK patients.

"We have world-class systems in place to prevent supply problems and we are working closely with industry and partners to prevent shortages and ensure the risks to patients are minimised."

The government will work closely with industry and partners to continually monitor the impact of coronavirus on the UK supply chain and put in place measures to protect UK patients.

There is no need for the public or NHS to stockpile. This could aggravate problems elsewhere in the supply chain if they emerge.

The Department of Health and Social Care is also working with NHS Supply Chain to retain centralised stock of medical products.

The department has well-established procedures to deal with medicine shortages and works closely with the MHRA, the pharmaceutical industry, NHS England and others operating in the supply chain to help prevent shortages and ensure that the risks to patients are minimised when shortages do arise anywhere in the UK.

The NHS and wider health system is extremely well prepared for coronavirus and follows tried and tested procedures of the highest standards to protect staff, patients and the public.

gov.uk/government/news/gove...

I realise this is from February 2020 but have been unable to locate anything that replaces it.

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Thanks for the Gov.News Story.All reassuring for us at a worrying time.

I was trying to read it earlier whilst applauding Mata of Man U........😱🙆🏼

( Sorry about that !)

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

I am not convinced that I have ever known the answer to that!

(Actually, the more recent issue was African swine fever - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afric... )

I have read suggestions that there have been changes to sources but nothing that I have found totally convincing.

[Treepie in reply to helvella]

African swine fever has reportedly wiped out 50% of China’s pigs .No idea what that implies for Thai NDT.

[Nanaedake]

What if we can't leave the house to collect our medicines? Do you think we can get a 3 month supply of our usual levothyroxine?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Nanaedake]

I am one of those very lucky people who has recently been "allowed" to get a three-month prescription!

But your point is very important. I do not know how things will, or even are expected, to work.

I have been wondering, if GP surgeries are badly hit, how even these simple repeat prescriptions will be managed.

[meme in reply to Nanaedake]

Tell them you are going away , they will give you an extra pack.

You can also get meds delivered to your door by Boots and others.

[Nanaedake in reply to meme]

That's a good idea for starters except people are cancelling holidays! Might sound a bit strange.

[meme in reply to Nanaedake]

Not abroad! Just staying with friends if asked.

[meme in reply to Nanaedake]

Boots will deliver. Look online and sign up for the service.

[Nanaedake in reply to meme]

I don't think Boots will deliver in outlying rural areas but I'll ring and find out.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to meme]

It seems likely that demand for delivery will rise hugely. At least some pharmacies might really struggle to meet the demand.

[Lora7again in reply to helvella]

Hopefully relatives will be able to pick up prescriptions because I have offered to collect my Dad's if he needs me to. Also a lot of drug companies including Boots have large warehouses full of drugs. I have actually visited some of them and they are enormous.

[mistydog in reply to Lora7again]

You've always been able to do this, just tick the box that says patient's representative.

[Ellie-Louise in reply to Nanaedake]

It must be at least 11-12 years ago that I was first diagnosed and I’ve always been given 3 months worth of levo.

It was a surprise to read that some people aren’t. So you could just ask your doctor for more packs.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Ellie-Louise]

There was a widespread campaign (over several years) across at least NHS England to impose blanket 28-day prescribing of everything - regardless sense, logic, or anything else.

Even on take-as-needed products.

[Ellie-Louise in reply to helvella]

My surgery is a teaching surgery so strange that they didn’t do that then. The doctor even gave me 2 months worth of something else that I take occasionally last week.

[Lora7again]

I was just reading about how other health services compare to the NHS because I am worried they will not be able to cope if the coronavirus becomes much bigger. I don't think we will cope because we are not coping now and I know this because of the struggle I had to see a GP when I was very ill in January with a chest infection. I am not trying to scare people because it might not be as big as we think if the government acts now and closes schools etc.

[TSH110 in reply to Lora7again]

They are aiming for herd immunity, it seems (govmt spokesperson on radio 4 this morning) I understand a 90% infection rate is needed to achieve this, which could also lead to over a million deaths. It would explain the current lack of action in containing the spread in the UK, quite out of step with nearby countries. It is pretty sobering and very worrying. I suspect it will be far bigger than we might wish to believe.

[MichelleHarris in reply to TSH110]

My brother in Denmark says country is virtually on lockdown. No schools open and few shops and no flights until at least April 13th.

My sister in Nethetlands says schools are open but cant promise they can maintain due to expected sickness x

[MichelleHarris]

My sisters children in the Netherlands are playing outside with all the other children. She says she cant keep them in. She says shes never seen so many children out playing x

[Lora7again in reply to MichelleHarris]

She should really be keeping them in. When my children had chicken pox I had to keep them in for 2 weeks. It was hard but necessary to stop them from infecting other children. Just to add they might be carriers which some children are.

[MichelleHarris in reply to Lora7again]

Yes I know.

The Netherlands and other countries policy of closing schools is not going to work x

[Lora7again in reply to MichelleHarris]

I have decided not to go to my pottery class this week because I don't want to risk picking up the virus. If I became ill I would not be able to do my Dad's shopping and he needs my help at the moment.