Medicines shortages in the [b]UK[/b] are putting patient safety at risk and piling ‘almost daily’ pressures on family doctors to find second-choice alternatives to commonly-prescribed drugs. [s]The Independent[/s] reports that a poll for [s]GP[/s] magazine found that the vast majority of family doctors had been forced to prescribe a second-choice drug and eight in 10 GPs said that the problem had become worse in the past 12 months. Recent high profile cases have included shortages of the blood pressure drug Valsartan, and the shingles vaccine Zostavax.
[link url=http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/medicines-shortages-force-family-doctors-to-prescribe-secondchoice-alternatives-putting-patients-at-risk-gps-warn-9641272.html]Full report in The Independent[/link]
[link url=http://www.gponline.com/exclusive-gp-anger-drug-shortages/article/1306080]GP survey[/link]