Alert over shortage of pain relief drugs

Doctors are being warned of a critical shortage of pain relief drugs for cancer sufferers.

GPs have been told by the Chief Medical Officer to save stocks of diamorphine for people who are dying and to use different forms of pain relief if possible.

More than 600,000 ampoules of diamorphine are used in Britain each month but the main supplier, Chiron, has warned that it will be the end of March before new stocks will be available.

Chiron had its licence for making the flu vaccine Fluvirin suspended because of manufacturing problems earlier this year. As a result its production of diamorphine was interrupted while the problem was sorted out.

The Government's "cancer czar" Professor Mike Richards said: "We are working hard to make sure that this potential shortfall does not, as far as possible, impact on the care and quality of life of patients. We are in contact with other companies to source extra supplies of morphine."

The Department of Health said: "The supply situation is likely to be critical for the immediate future." Alternative supplies of diamorphine have been difficult to arrange because the drug is used much less commonly in other countries.