Lithium Carbonate

(asked on 8th December 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish a helpline for patients seeking advice about switching to other lithium products because of a discontinuation of Priadel lithium tablets.


Answered by
Lord Bethell Portrait
Lord Bethell
This question was answered on 17th December 2020

Ensuring patients have access to the medicines they need is vital. The Department brought this matter to the attention of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) who opened an investigation.

Essential Pharma has now agreed to continue supplying Priadel to the National Health Service and we have agreed revised prices with the company. This means patients can continue to access this important treatment as normal without the need for widespread systematic switching. The CMA has received a proposed commitment from Essential Pharma that it will continue to supply Priadel for a minimum of five years, thereby securing the long-term availability of this crucial medicine.

We continue to communicate the most up to date information with the NHS, including general practices and mental health trusts and further updates are expected to be issued shortly. As supplies of Priadel remained available no central helpline was considered.

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