Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of generic drugs since the start of the covid-19 outbreak; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the outbreak on the supply of medicines.

As part of our concerted national efforts to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, we are doing everything we can to ensure patients continue to access safe and effective medicines.

The Department is working closely with the pharmaceutical industry, the National Health Service and others in the supply chain to help ensure patients can access the medicines they need. and precautions are in place to reduce the likelihood of future shortages, including access to United Kingdom stockpiles of a range of generic medicines.

The Department shares regular information about impending supply issues and management plans with the NHS via networks in primary and secondary care and will liaise with relevant patient groups about issues affecting specific medicines.