The continuity of medicines supplies to hospitals and community pharmacies is threatened by the disruption of fuel supplies.
As The Journal went to press on September 13, a Department of Health spokesman said that there were reported difficulties in the south of England and in the south-west peninsula. He said that central Government discussions were continuing about how essential services should be maintained, but that no national arrangements had been made.
Mr Jeffrey Watling (chief pharmacist, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust) said that there were no immediate problems in Portsmouth. He had told the Department that continuity of medicine supplies would be a concern if the crisis continued.
For Derriford hospital, Plymouth, Mr Jeremy Morris (drug purchasing and resource manager) said that all key suppliers had confirmed that they would be able to maintain deliveries until the end of the week. After that, there would be problems.
So far as the principal wholesalers are concerned, AAH said that it was working with appropriate bodies to ensure that usual deliveries could continue to all its customers. Unichem announced that it had been able to secure fuel supplies on a similar basis to the emergency services so that twice daily deliveries could continue.
At the British Pharmaceutical Conference, Mr Wally Dove (chairman, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee) asked Lord Hunt (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health) to allow pharmacies to open, but not supply medicines, if pharmacists were unable to get to work, and for pharmacists to be treated on the same basis as nurses for fuel supplies. He also asked for pharmacists to be allowed to substitute prescribed products if supplies were unobtainable.