These are difficult times.

As clinicians, we not only need to know all the medications prescribed within our scope of practice, but to recognise which ones aren’t currently available through local pharmacies.

It must be frustrating for patients. After a (usually) long-awaited appointment with the GP or specialist, they get the script for the medication they need, only for the pharmacist to tell them, “Oh, that medicine has been discontinued” or “We’re waiting for that medicine to be shipped in, but we don’t know when”.

Then it’s a wild goose chase to catch the prescribing clinician to have the script changed to a medication that might actually be available, taking up time from both the pharmacist and doctor that can be better spent.