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Written question asked by Ian Byrne (Labour) on Monday, 16 October 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 23 October 2023 (named day). It was answered by Will Quince (Conservative) on Monday, 23 October 2023 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

NHS: Drugs

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the National Patient Safety Alert entitled Shortage of methylphenidate prolonged-release capsules and tablets, lisdexamfetamine capsules, and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets, issued on 27 September 2023, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support and (b) provide information to people who are impacted by supply disruptions for their prescribed medication.

Answer

We are aware of supply issues affecting medicines used for the management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We have issued communications, in the form of a National Patient Safety Alert, to the National Health Service to advise healthcare professionals on the management of patients during this time. We continue to work closely with manufacturers to resolve the issues as soon as possible and to ensure patients have continuous access to ADHD medicines in the United Kingdom. We have added ADHD products to the export restriction list to protect available supplies for UK patients. We anticipate that the supply disruption will resolve at various dates between October and December 2023. We do not hold information or take action at a local level.

We have published a list of currently available and unavailable ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Services website, which provides information for prescribers. This will be regularly updated to ensure those involved in prescribing and dispensing can make informed decisions. Any patient who is impacted by this situation and has concerns about their treatment should discuss this with their clinician.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
202601
Session
2022-23
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
NHS Shortages Methylphenidate Lisdexamfetamine Guanfacine
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk