Former nurse dies amid dementia drug shortages

A former nurse died weeks after her family was unable to get her regular medication for dementia, amid national supply problems.

Pearl Roche's family said they wanted to speak out because she spent her life caring for others, and would never want to see anyone else suffer.

Her medication, Galantamine, is used to treat mild to moderate memory loss and mental changes linked to Alzheimer's disease. While not a cure, her family believe it improved her quality of life.

The Department of Health said the vast majority of medicines were in good supply, but it was aware of intermittent supply issues affecting Galantamine.

Pearl was a nurse and midwife in Wolverhampton, and was married to her husband, John for 50 years.

Her family got in touch with the BBC after hearing the story of Jack Tolley, a student with severe epilepsy who had to quit his course due to the lack of available medicine.

"She had so much love and care for people. She loved her family. All the jobs she did were caring professions and people would often come up to her in Wolverhampton and say I remember you, because she had a wonderful smile," John said.

In recent years, she had been been diagnosed with dementia and took a daily tablet of Galantamine.

Her daughter, Olivia Jones, a school nurse, said: "It's not a cure for Alzheimer's or vascular dementia but it vastly improved my mum's quality of life and it enabled my dad to keep her at home up to the last few weeks - that is our belief."

But her family sometimes struggled to get hold of it.

It came to a head in May, when her home supply ran out and the family were unable to get hold of any more.

Four days later, Pearl was taken to hospital, where her family say her condition declined rapidly. She died in June, aged 73, with cause of death being given as frailty and dementia.

"Four weeks before she went into hospital we must've called six pharmacies across Wolverhampton trying to get stock but unfortunately nowhere routinely stocks it," her daughter said.

"In the week that she went into hospital I was told by one pharmacy that 80 to 90% of their stockists had no stock."

New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton has confirmed it did not have any Galantamine for the first 48 hours of Pearl's admission.

A spokesperson expressed condolences to Pearl's family, adding: "Where national or local medication shortages occur, we work closely with our pharmacy teams and relevant partners to source medicines or, where necessary and clinically appropriate, identify suitable alternatives to ensure patients continue to receive safe and effective treatment."

The National Pharmacy Association has spoken out this year about shortages affecting a range of drugs.

Sehar Shahid, from the National Pharmacy Association, said: "The shortages have been around for about a year so it could be different things, the global supply chain for example, global issues that are happening across the world.

"The UK has a very narrow supply chain as well when it comes to medicine so it's already very fragile and vulnerable but the effects of this is obviously patient safety risk."

The Department of Health passed on heartfelt condolences to Pearl's family.

A spokesperson said it had "… issued guidance to the NHS to help clinicians manage these issues, including advice on alternative medications that remain available."

Olivia said: "It's so sad when I know so many people in the country have dementia and especially as more people are getting early onset dementia. I understand the medication's expensive but it's an issue that needs addressing."

John: "She suffered, she's gone, we've got to think of other people. That's what Pearl would've done and always did. She thought of others more than herself."

The government said it was engaging with other countries to bolster supplies. And enhancing manufacturing capability in this country.

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