MANAGING MEDICINES SHORTAGES ON A NATIONAL LEVEL – A MULTIDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION BETWEEN WHOLESALER, HOSPITAL PHARMACIES AND PATIENT SAFETY ORGANISATION IN DENMARK (submitted in 2019)
European Statement
Selection, Procurement and Distribution
Author(s)
Christine Dinsen-Andersen, Hanne Fischer, Anita Gorm Pedersen, Dagmar Bertelsen, Marianne Hald Clemmensen
Why was it done?
Before the NTF was established, each hospital pharmacy made their own assessments and solutions to CMS. This led to a lack of coordination in the national supply and knowledge sharing. As the number of CMS increased, a need for a coordinated national initiative became evident. The aim of the NTF is to secure better communication to healthcare professionals and to establish clearly defined rolls and responsibility in the supply chain from wholesaler to hospital pharmacy. Patient safety aspects should be included in all relevant steps of the process.
What was done?
A National Task Force (NTF) for critical medicines shortages (CMS) have been established with the main objective to provide therapeutic and patient safety assessment of CMS on a national level. In addition to this the NTF takes considerations regarding the supply chain into account in the assessments.
How was it done?
To secure national engagement, members of the task force were appointed according to a consensus between the hospital pharmacies in Denmark. The NTF includes participants from 3 hospital pharmacies, the national wholesaler for hospital pharmacies and a patient safety organization. Based on challenges of geographical dispersion and different local practices, an effort was put into: • securing a systematic work flow, for the group; • creating a digital platform with access for members from different organizations; • agreeing on when a medicine shortage is critical.
What has been achieved?
• Early intervention – resulting in opportune solutions. • Agility in allocation of remaining stock between hospital pharmacies. • Optimisation of choice of alternative treatment during period of shortage. • Secure supply of alternative drugs on national level. • Initiate agreement between physicians on choice of alternative on a national level. • Attention to patient safety challenges – preventing adverse events.
What next?
Joined forces have resulted in coordinated and optimised solutions to managing CMS, enabling the hospital pharmacies to secure patient safety. Hence the NTF shall continue its work. Having a national unit as NTF provides the basis for coordinated initiatives and for corporation with health and medicines authorities and market authorization holders.