To ask the Minister of Health for an update on potential shortages of arthritis medication.

Dependent on the type and severity, there are a wide variety of medications that can be used for the treatment of arthritis, ranging from simple oral and topical analgesics to biological treatments. My Department is not currently aware of supply disruptions for the majority of treatments used for the two most common types of arthritis- rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. However, my Department is aware of a supply disruption to Erelzi® (etanercept) 50mg solution for injection in pre-filled pens, which can be used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, and subsequently issued a National Patient Safety Alert on 3 May 2024:

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/health/doh-hss-md-13-2024.pdf.

It is important to note that medicines are manufactured as part of a global and highly complex industry and therefore shortages of medicines are not uncommon. There are national and locally tried and tested mitigations in place for dealing with any supply disruptions to ensure that patients can continue to get medicine supplies they need, including providing advice to healthcare professionals on appropriate actions to take during periods of disruption, such as National Patient Safety Alerts.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) leads on the maintenance of medicine supplies into the UK and works closely with the other devolved governments, including my Department, and other relevant stakeholders to put in place mitigations should any disruptions arise.