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Our ongoing advocacy work for PERT supply issues
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Pharmacy (a group of MPs with a particular interest in pharmacy issues) has this week published a report and recommendations, following a review of medicine shortages in England.
The report shows the wide-ranging impact that medicines shortages can have to patients: not only to physical and mental health, but also financially and logistically.
You can read the full report here
As part of this review, we gave evidence on the impact PERT shortages were having on the CF community, including;
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4 in 5 felt the ongoing challenges left them stressed and anxious
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43% described the shortages as having had a ‘significant’ or ‘severe’ impact on their health and wellbeing
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21% spent an additional 4 or more hours per week finding and collecting their supply
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90% saying they had experienced increased travel costs
We’re pleased to see this report recognises the huge challenge that shortages of vital medicines bring, and the need for change, including much better communication with patients.
Clare Corbett, Director of External Affairs at Cystic Fibrosis Trust
We strongly welcome the recommendation to create a UK-wide medicines shortages communications and patient support strategy to make sure peoples’ voices are heard and acted upon. We encourage the Department of Health to accept this recommendation and to continue to work with patient organisations, like the Trust, to ensure no one with CF has to face the anxiety and impact of medicines shortages.
To find out more about how Cystic Fibrosis Trust has been keeping pressure on the Government and manufacturers, read our blog here.
Thank you to everyone who has shared their experience of PERT shortages to inform this report and the Trust’s wider engagement with government and the NHS.
We’re now running a new survey to find out whether the steps taken by the Government, NHS, and manufacturers are making a difference.