23 May 2024
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians is calling for urgent action to address medicines shortages that can put lives at risk and leave patients without effective substitutes.
RACP President Professor Jennifer Martin said Australia needs an effective strategy for managing medicine shortages and it is patients who are paying the price.
“Medicine shortages are becoming more of a problem in Australia, and we need to see a comprehensive strategy from Government about how to prevent shortages and how to manage them better when they do occur. Australia is particularly vulnerable because we import around 90% of our medicines,” Professor Martin said.
“Physicians across specialties continue to see shortages of key medicines for our most vulnerable patients: children with neurodevelopmental disorders, children and adults with obesity, diabetes or endocrine issues, palliative care patients, patients with cardiac conditions, sexually transmitted and other infections, and patients with substance use disorders.
“Government needs a better strategy to redirect existing critical medicines supplies within the country to priority groups and patients. Current approaches often get very difficult for both patient and physician and need to be fixed, urgently.
“Physicians are left to navigate the maze without a compass to find and source substitutes for complex patients, with varying levels of success. This can leave patients with the same health conditions in dramatically different positions and is a major national health equity concern.”
In a recent submission to a Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) consultation, Medicine shortages in Australia – Challenges and opportunities, the RACP called attention to the many negative effects of medicine shortages and discontinuations.
“In addition to putting patients at risk of poorer clinical outcomes, medication shortages and discontinuations cause a great deal of anxiety for patients,” Professor Martin said.
“Serious concerns over health and quality of life are then left to our already overburdened physicians to manage.
“Medicine shortages are impacting patient health right now. Every day that goes by without a strategy to stop, prevent, and manage medicine shortages – we are leaving patients stranded.
“This is a major vulnerability in our healthcare system and it must be addressed with urgency.”
While the Federal Government has an existing medicines repurposing program and positive steps were made in the 2024 Federal Budget, including through investments in the Future Made in Australia package for locally produced medicines and additional funding for the National Medical Stockpile, more must be done to accommodate current and future medicine needs of our patients.
The RACP calls for:
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Medication manufacturers and sponsors to advise the TGA of a shortage or discontinuation and expected end date well in advance of the shortage or discontinuation.
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A list of critical, life sustaining medications in Australia to be developed and minimum stock levels maintained for potential national public health crises.Local production of medications to be stimulated and incentivised.
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International suppliers of medicines critical to the health of Australians to be encouraged to enter and remain within the Australian market through TGA-driven incentives.
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System-wide and nationally coordinated approach among supply chain partners and the Government to reduce the risk of medicine shortages through the use of artificial intelligence technologies such as big data analytics.
Read RACP’s full
submission to the TGA consultation on medicine shortages