Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the level of access to Priadel in (a) 2020 and (b) 2021 and beyond.

Supplies of Priadel (lithium carbonate) are available.

Ensuring patients have access to the medicines they need is vital. We have established procedures to deal with medicine shortages if and when they arise.

The Department brought the discontinuation of Priadel to the attention of the Competition and Markets Authority, who have now opened an investigation.

Essential Pharma have taken the decision to reverse their discontinuation of Priadel tablets and continue to supply Priadel to patients across the United Kingdom, whilst we work to agree a fair and appropriate price for this medicine.

Officials continue to work closely with the supplier and wholesalers to maintain the availability of Priadel and alternative lithium carbonate brands to ensure supplies remain available for patients. We are aware that Essential Pharma have quotas in place with wholesalers to reduce the risk of stockpiling, but we have confirmed that ordering mechanisms are in place to ensure all prescriptions for Priadel can obtain supplies. We continue to communicate this information with the National Health Service.

We have also added lithium carbonate to the parallel export restriction list of 8 September 2020 to ensure supplies remain available for the UK.