A type 1 diabetic has urged for better communication after she had to resort to social media when her essential medication was out of stock. Gwen Edwards, who lives in Anglesey, takes insulin and uses a disposable pen type called Fiasp FlexTouch. In March, pharmacies and surgeries in Wales received a shortage notice, but Gwen was not informed. The local health board mentioned that local pharmacies would not contact patients directly about shortages as most would not experience any disruption. Gwen posted on social media for help and received many responses, she eventually got insulin from someone she knew.
Gwen was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was eight years old. “Every day is different, it all depends on what the blood levels are,” says Gwen, who has talked about the challenges she has faced with her condition previously. According to her, she usually gets a prescription for her medication two weeks before it runs out. But recently it became evident that there was a problem with the stock of her medication. With the prescription, she visited several places to look for the insulin. Five chemists later, they informed her that the insulin was out of stock. Low stock notwithstanding, she did not come across any information about the shortage.
The shortage is projected to last until 2025 and was brought to light by a warning issued by the Welsh government. The Fiasp PenFill, which remains available, is the cartridge placed in a reusable product. Lowri Puw, a pharmacist and member of the Welsh Pharmacy Board, acknowledged there are several reasons for the shortage and various steps in the process of getting the medication to the pharmacy. She suggested diabetic patients speak with a pharmacist to explore other available options.
A spokesperson for Betsi Cadwaladr health board said that they would not routinely communicate directly with patients about medicine shortages, noting that “the majority of patients do not experience any disruption to the supply of their medicines.” The same position was also taken by the Welsh government about directly informing patients. Despite health being a devolved matter, the UK government is responsible for ensuring the supply of medicine. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care noted their priority is to ensure patients have access to their treatments. They collaborate with the industry, the NHS, and others to resolve supply problems promptly and ensure patients have access to alternative medicines until their preferred product is back in stock
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