GPs likely to see increased workload due to ramipril shortage
Shortages of commonly prescribed blood pressure medication ramipril will have knock-on impacts for general practice, a leading GP has warned.
The Government has issued a serious shortage protocol notice for ramipril 1.25mg capsules, which states that patients can only get one month’s worth of the medicine at a time.
Pharmacies have been given the power to only issue fewer capsules than may have been indicated on the prescription in order to alleviate ‘significant ongoing disruption’ to supplies.
The measures will be in place until at least the end of May.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) said three million items of ramipril are prescribed every month in England.
Ramipril 1.25mg and 2.5mg tablets and ramipril oral solution remain available but cannot support increased demand, the Department of Health and Social Care said.
Other low dose formulations of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin-II receptor blockers (ARBs) remain available, it continued.
Professor Azeem Majeed, a GP and professor of primary care and public health at Imperial College London said: ‘Ramipril is commonly prescribed in primary care and so any supply disruptions will create problems for patients, general practices and community pharmacies.
He said while the serious shortage protocol allows pharmacists to manage the supply of ramipril without the patient returning to the GP for a new prescription, it still generates work.
‘GPs and practice staff often have to deal with queries from concerned patients who are confused as to why their usual two or three-month supply has been restricted.
‘Giving out shorter treatment courses may also lead to the risk of “treatment gaps”, ie, patients going without ramipril for a period of time,’ he added.
NPA chairman Olivier Picard said a number of pharmacies had been unable to order some strengths of ramipril as well as seeing the cost soar in recent weeks
‘Millions of patients rely on ramipril and although there are alternative medicines available, supplies of these must be managed carefully by the Government to ensure subsequent demand can be met.
He added that the Government should allow pharmacists to make substitutions to ramipril prescriptions to ensure patients do not have to go back to their GP to find an alternative.
‘Whilst the medicine supply chain is extremely complex, the rising problem of shortages across a wide range of medication is extremely worrying for patients and heartbreaking for pharmacists who go to great lengths to ensure they don’t turn them away.’
In February, a House of Lords committee report said medicines shortages in the UK is a national security issue that should be given more priority.
Chief among its recommendations was for shortages to be better communicated to GPs to enable them to support patients.
Visit Pulse Reference for details on 140 symptoms, including easily searchable symptoms and categories, offering you a free platform to check symptoms and receive potential diagnoses during consultations.
