NEWS
‘Enhanced’ role in battling AMR
for UK pharmacists
Pharmacists will play a crucial
role in the UK Government’s bid
to cut antibiotic use by 15%, according
to its five-year national plan to tackle
antimicrobial resistance.
The document, published on 24
January alongside a 20-year vision,
outlines a number of actions aimed at
reducing drug resistance by ensuring
people take fewer antibiotics.
To help achieve that, the document
says that “the UK will enhance the
role of pharmacists in primary care
to review the dose and duration of
antimicrobial prescriptions (especially
long-term or repeat ones) and work
with prescribers to review those that
are inappropriate through evidencebased,
system-wide interventions”.
This will contribute to
strengthening antimicrobial
stewardship programmes across the
UK. In addition, pharmacists in all
settings can work together to share
knowledge and learning to boost
appropriate prescribing of antibiotics.
Under the plans, the National
Institute of Health and Care Excellence
(NICE) and NHS England will be
tasked with looking at a new way of
paying for medicines to help improve
stewardship.
It is hoped the model will shift
from one that pays pharmaceutical
companies based on how many
antibiotics are sold, to one that instead
focuses on how valuable they are to
the NHS.
Health and social care secretary
Matt Hancock said: “Each and every
one of us benefits from antibiotics,
but we all too easily take them for
granted, and I shudder at the thought
of a world in which their power is
diminished.
“Antimicrobial resistance is as big
a danger to humanity as climate
change or warfare. That’s why we
need an urgent global response.”
Misuse of antibiotics – including
taking the wrong type of medicine,
not using them as directed and
inappropriate doses – is a leading
cause of antimicrobial resistance.
If human consumption continues to
grow at current rates, it will rise by
up to 200% by 2030.
The UK has successfully reduced
antibiotic use by more than 7% since
2014. The target figure is 15% in the
next five years.
Other targets outlined in the
Government’s proposals include
cutting the number of drug-resistant
infections by 10% (5,000 infections) by
2025, and preventing at least 15,000
patients from contracting infections as
a result of their healthcare each year
by 2024.
No-deal Brexit could disrupt medicines supply
by ‘at least’ six months, health minister warns
Manufacturers may have to
rethink the way they transport
stock to avoid ‘at least’ six months of
border delays in a no-deal Brexit, a
letter from a UK health minister has
warned.
A letter from the MP Stephen
Hammond, sent on 8 February, was
written in response to concerns
raised by the House of Lords EU Home
Affairs Sub-Committee about access
to medical supplies in a no-deal Brexit
scenario and outlined the Department
of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC)
“detailed contingency plans”.
The short straits crossings via
Dover and Folkestone, through which
90% of medicines enter the UK, “may
be subject to a significantly reduced
flow of goods for at least six months
rather than the previous estimate of
six weeks of disruption”, according to
the letter.
Mr Hammond said disruption
to supplies would affect “critical”
prescription-only and pharmacy
medicines and would also affect UK
manufacturers.
He said: “The possible border delays
indicated in the updated planning
assumptions would impact any import
of medicines, including prescriptiononly
and pharmacy medicines, critical
to the continuity of patient care.
‘It would also impact UK
manufacturers of medicines that may
rely on the import of raw materials
from or via the EU. Therefore, we
have asked all suppliers to consider
their supply routes and whether any
re-routing to avoid the short straits is
necessary.”
Suppliers were instructed to ensure
that these plans are in place for those
medicines that cannot “reasonably”
be stockpiled. However, Mr Hammond
refused to give the committee further
information about which medicines
would be prioritised and the cost of
flying them in for a six-week period,
citing commercial sensitivities.
He said: “The Department is still
reviewing what support it may provide
to companies flying medicines to the
UK. The cost of flying in medicines is
a confidential commercial decision
made between air-freight companies
and the manufacturer.”
8 | Issue 91 | 2019 | hospitalpharmacyeurope.com