Oral QuestionDepartment of Health and Social Care

If he will undertake a review of the potential impact of medicine supply chain shortages on community pharmacies.

Tabled: 11 June 2025Answered: 17 June 2025

Asked by

Sadik Al-Hassan

LabourNorth Somerset

Answering Minister

the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Answer from Hansard

The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)

Increasing the resilience of the UK medical supply chain is a key priority. I regularly meet the team to routinely take action to mitigate supply issues, including requesting additional stock, identifying alternative global sources and issuing management advice. Although the Department has no plans to conduct a specific review, we constantly work to identify and take forward further actions to reduce the impact of medicine shortages, including targeted winter monitoring.