UK govt/ABPI act on discontinued drugs

The UK Department of Health and the Association of the BritishPharmaceutical Industry have introduced a new set of best-practice guidelines aimed at protecting patient needs when a medicine is withdrawn.

The key features of the new guidelines are: a central contact point and dedicated e-mailbox at the DoH; a clear timetable for notification; clarity concerning the information to be provided; a list of contacts to be notified; and an emphasis on exchanging information at an early stage.

Announcing the initiative, Health Minister Lord Philip Hunt commented that the early exchange of full information will enable the DoH and the National Health Service to work with the industry in exploring alternative products or sources of supply, and minimize the impact on patients, while ABPI director general Trevor Jones stressed that, if a medicine is discontinued, the health of the patient should not be compromised.