Question reference: S6W-27194
- Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 2 May 2024
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Current status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 May 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-03191 by Jenni Minto on 13 March 2024, whether it still expects supplies of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication in Scotland to have stabilised by the end of May 2024, and whether, at that point, it expects NHS Scotland and NHS boards to be able to prescribe such medication to new patients.
Answer
Various Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medicines continue to experience limited and intermittent supply issues. We are aware that market data has indicated that some of these issues will continue beyond May 2024 into the Summer.
As the pricing and supply of medicines is a reserved matter for the UK Government, we continue to engage with them to find a lasting solution on minimising the impact of these medicine shortages on patients and their families.
The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO) sits on the UK Government’s Medicine Shortages Response Group (MSRG). The CPO continues to raise the issue of ADHD medicine shortages and has urged the UK Government to consider alternative solutions, if possible, for medicines with continuous and intermittent supply issues. There was general agreement that the situation wasn’t improving, and that the UK medicine supply team would consider what further could be done, including organising a meeting with the manufacturers to seek further solutions. We hope to be in a position to update on this further in due course.
For anyone who experiences difficulties in obtaining their prescribed ADHD medication, I encourage them to discuss this with their specialist, who should be able to review their circumstances and prescribe an alternative treatment if appropriate until stock supplies are stabilised.