24 January 2025
With a new poll showing 27% of Australians experiencing a shortage in prescription drugs or medication, a peak medical body is calling on the Federal Government to enable better information sharing between the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), health practitioners and patients.
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) says the TGA’s current system is not fit for purpose and doctors, hospitals and pharmacists are often not notified of medicine shortages until the eleventh hour.
In its submission to the TGA on medicine shortages, the RACP outlines practical solutions to the ongoing issue and encourages the TGA to continue expanding its reform initiatives.
“We are very pleased to see the TGA’s intention to take up our recommendation to require all medicine producers, importers and exporters to give us at least 12 months’ notice of a decision to discontinue reportable medicines and to monitor and expand the list of reportable drugs,” says Professor Jennifer Martin, President of the RACP and clinical pharmacologist.
“The more notice we have, the more proactive we can be to find alternatives and ensure our patients have access to the medicines they need.
“In the immediate term, we need to make sure doctors and patients are notified through appropriate and accessible channels, and well in advance, of an upcoming medicine discontinuation – we shouldn’t let this valuable information ever fall through the cracks.
“Real-time information is critical not only for keeping physicians updated, but to save valuable time otherwise spent on follow-ups and information gathering.
"Most importantly, these reforms will ensure that patients who experience frustration (75.3%), stress (60%) and anxiety (54.6%)[1] as a result of managing medicine shortages will feel less exhausted and helpless. Better communication between the TGA and patients and practitioners will lead to better outcomes for all, including our healthcare system.
“It’s no secret that Australia experiences many medicine shortages – we currently have more than 400 in shortage, including common antibiotics, pain medications, and medicine needed to treat menopause symptoms.
“We can mitigate this by putting measures in place to prepare us as effectively as possible.
“In addition to improving communication around what medicines are available, we encourage the TGA to streamline its approval process to increase our medicine supply.
“Growing our capacity to manufacture medicines domestically would be a massive step for the health sovereignty of Australia, with the medicine shortages we experience in part a result of our dependence on imported medicines.
“Since we continue to import 90% of medicines, we must create information networks that are agile, collaborative and accurate – Australians’ health depends on it,” says Professor Martin.
The full submission can be found here: racp-submission-to-tga-consultation-reportable-medicines-and-timeframes-for-discontinuations.pdf
[1] https://www.tga.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-11/market-research-understanding-impact-medicine-shortages-australia.pdf