The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 30th April 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of shortages in the supply of prescription drugs.
Lord Markham (Con, DHSC): There are approximately 14,000 medicines licensed for supply in the United Kingdom, and the overwhelming majority are in good supply.
The medicine supply chain is complex, global, and highly regulated, and supply issues can be caused by a range of factors. For example, suppliers can encounter manufacturing problems, difficulty accessing raw materials, and surges in demand. These are commonly cited as the drivers of the recent supply issues, which have affected many countries, not just the UK.
Whilst we can’t always prevent supply issues, we have a range of well-established tools and processes to mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing National Health Service communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, so they can advise and support their patients.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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