The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7162 p261-263
25 August 2001

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Medicine shortages

Sharing experiences and processes

From Mrs S. J. Dunnett, MRPharmS

I read the article “Where have all the medicines gone?” (PJ, 11 August) with interest. The scenarios described parallel what has been recognised in the electronic component industry for many years. Component life-cycles have dramatically shortened as emerging technologies make older components obsolete. Supply has rarely met demand; prices fluctuate depending on availability and many items are no longer manufactured.

Where we see potential compromise to patient care, the electronics industry experiences problems in manufacturing and costly redesign of essential equipment.

The article described many great initiatives to tackle this issue. I wonder if further benefits could be attained for the pharmaceutical profession and the electronics industry in the sharing of experiences and processes. Two bodies are leading advances in the component industry, the Components Obsolescence Group (www.cog.org.uk) and the National Obsolescence Centre (www.nocweb.org), which is supported by the Department of Trade and Industry. A pro-active notification system is available, sending e-mails directly to affected customers, warning them of impending shortages (an example of this can be found at here).

Sarah Dunnett
Wellingborough, Northamptonshire

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