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The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Pharmacy has launched an inquiry into the ongoing issue of medicines shortages in England, focusing on their impact, contributing factors and potential solutions. As part of this inquiry, the APPG has issued a call for written evidence from key stakeholders across the healthcare sector, including pharmacists, pharmacy teams, GPs, prescribers, patient groups, professional organisations and medicines manufacturers and distributors. This inquiry comes in response to the growing concerns about the impact of medicines shortages on patient care and the challenges faced by pharmacy teams in dispensing medicines in a timely way. The APPG aims to develop practical recommendations to address this ongoing challenge and its impact.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has submitted evidence to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Pharmacy inquiry into medicines shortages in England. In its submission, the organisation has called on the government to develop a national strategy to address medicine shortages and change legislation to allow community pharmacists to amend prescriptions when medicines are in short supply. Tase Oputu, RPS England Board chair, welcomed the inquiry, and emphasised that medicines shortages continue to impact patients and the work of pharmacists daily. The RPS's evidence draws on its report, Medicines Shortages: Solutions for Shelves, which examines the issue in detail. The report revealed that pharmacy teams are spending more time chasing medicines supplies, identifying and switching patients to alternative medicines, taking their time away from other clinical activities.