Medicine shortages: Suggested questions

Last updated: Sunday, July 11, 2021

When caring for a hospital inpatient taking a medicine that is in short supply or unavailable, you should obviously start by identifying the indication and the exact regimen (dose, frequency, dosage form).

You then need to develop a plan to share with your patient and the team caring for them. As mentioned on the previous page, your Trust may already have a memo or policy describing what to do if it's a long-term shortage, or there may be national guidance via the SPS website or the MHRA central alerting system.

Here are some questions you could think about when managing an individual inpatient: