Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many planned discontinuation notices for the supply of medicines they have received as of 1 June 2021; and what steps they are taking to mitigate such notices.

We regularly receive notifications of discontinuations and possible discontinuations from suppliers, as well as information about shortages and potential shortages caused by a whole variety of reasons and numbers change daily. We are unable to provide this information as it is commercially sensitive.

The Department has well-established procedures to deal with medicines shortages and discontinuations and works with a range of stakeholders to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised when they do arise. Not all notifications will lead to the discontinuation of a medicine or a shortage in the market.