AQW 8194/22-27

Ms Connie Egan
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 05/03/2024
Answered On Date: 20/03/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health what action he will take to address the shortage of lisdexamphetamine.

Answer:

There are national and locally tried and tested contingency arrangements in place for dealing with any medicine supply disruption, which includes providing communications to healthcare professionals to help mitigate the impact a supply disruption may have on patients ensuring they can continue to access treatments.

As a consequence of the ongoing supply disruption to lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse®), my Department issued an updated Medicine Supply Notification (MPS 3159) to Health and Social Care (HSC) providers on 13 February 2024. This guidance provides healthcare professionals with an update on the current supply disruption, with intermittent supplies expected to continue until April 2024 for these products. The update also provides advice and actions for healthcare professionals to help mitigate the impact an intermittent supply disruption will have on an affected patient, which reflects messaging agreed by all the UK administrations.

Healthcare professionals can also access the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS) website to receive up-to-date shortage information and the anticipated resupply dates for those lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse®) products affected.

As this is a UK wide supply disruption and DHSC leads on the arrangements for maintaining medicines supply chains to the UK, my Department will continue to work closely with DHSC and other relevant partners, including the other devolved governments on this matter to minimise the impact these supply disruptions will have on patients Northern Ireland.