Pharmacists and drug associations want better data on medicine shortages.

The article from the The Pharmaceutical Journal, February 2017;():DOI:10.1211/PJ.2017.20202291mentions the advantages of up-to date information and the benefits

European bodies representing pharmacists, drug manufacturers and distributors have issued recommendations on how data on medicines shortages could be better used to mitigate the impact on patients.

“There is no universally accepted definition of a medicine shortage in Europe,” the associations point out, going on to call for an approach in which suspected shortages are flagged, regardless of whether they are already in short supply or apply to single or multi-source products.

The organisations also say that making more up-to-date information about medicines shortages available will improve the ability of health systems to solve supply issues as they arise. This would enable existing stocks to be better managed and distributed and contingency measures deployed, which may involve urgent communication to prescribers, pharmacies and wholesalers and preparation of bespoke out-of-license or magisterial products, to minimise the impact to patient care, they add.

Could AI play a role here in providing more up-to date information to the Pharmacies? From the The Pharmaceutical Journal, February 2017;():DOI:10.1211/PJ.2017.20202291