Unreliable access to clinically required medication during supply shortages
First to latest report 13 Oct 2014 — 31 Mar 2025
Reports that mention this concern
4
Times this concern has been raised
6
Stated actions linked to this concern
10
What this concern includes
Includes failures in the dedicated medication-shortage response and continuity process, including shortage planning, escalation, communication of roles and alternatives, prioritisation, sourcing and arrangements to prevent patients being left without clinically required medication.
What is not included
Excludes ordinary medication prescribing, administration, monitoring or counselling failures where no medication supply shortage or shortage-response deficiency is identified.
Excludes shortages of non-medication clinical equipment, such as cannulae, unless the assertion explicitly concerns medication supply.
Excludes isolated medication stock shortages where no continuing failure in shortage management, communication or continuity of access is identified.
Excludes generic information-sharing or leaflet deficiencies that are not tied to maintaining access to clinically required medication during a supply shortage.
Trends
Reports over time
Reports mentioning this concern, over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Department of Health and Social Care1
General Pharmaceutical Council1
Midway Pharmacy1
Royal Free Hospital1
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust1
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust1
NHS trust2
Health and care professional regulator1
Healthcare site1
Ministerial department1
Type not available1
Reports and published responses 4 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
Inner North London
Concerns raised1
Failure to ensure timely availability of Naloxone
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Deliver two weeks of safety-huddle sessions on accessing and replenishing Naloxone, including out-of-hours arrangements.
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Increase ward 8 North Naloxone stock from two to three boxes and audit stocking consistency.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Access to Naloxone on ward 8 North was not disrupted; unusually high usage caused the delay in administration.
Disputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
West Yorkshire Eastern
Concerns raised3
Lack of clear designated systems for dealing with medication supply shortages
Failure to provide leaflets explaining roles during medication supply shortages
Failure of pharmacies to search for supplies when prescribed medication is unavailable
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
General Pharmaceutical Council
Midway Pharmacy
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
General Pharmaceutical Council
Publish guidance explaining how pharmacies should respond when prescribed medicines are unavailable.
General Pharmaceutical Council
Inspect the pharmacy’s systems for managing out-of-stock medicines and supply issues.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
Midway Pharmacy
The pharmacy’s staged process sought medication supplies, and referral to other pharmacies followed unsuccessful attempts to obtain the prescribed brand.
Disputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
General Pharmaceutical Council
Manufacturing medicines and wider supply and shortage issues fall outside the regulator’s direct role.
Outside remitThe respondent said that this matter was outside its role or authority.
Leicester City and South Leicestershire
Concerns raised1
Failure to ensure priority access to limited supplies of Lorazepam
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Manchester South
Concerns raised1
Severe shortages of Isoprenaline
This report raised 11 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Department of Health and Social Care
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.6
Department of Health and Social Care
Work with European and North American countries to resolve pharmaceutical supply issues.
Department of Health and Social Care
Ask the NHS UK Medicines Information service to produce a shortage memorandum on isoprenaline availability and alternative supply sources.
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
Replenish the Trust’s Isoprenaline stock following the national shortage.
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
Maintain safe Critical Care medication storage, regular staff checks and pharmacist audits.
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
Reiterate the medicines-shortage protocol to the Pharmacy Department.
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
Review existing Pharmacy Department pathways for managing medicines shortages.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
Department of Health and Social Care
Some medicine supply problems are inevitable and unavoidable because of manufacturing, regulatory and raw-material difficulties.
Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
Existing stocks, contingency arrangements and local networks are considered sufficient to maintain medicines or suitable alternatives during shortages.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.