SPIRALLING medicine shortages are putting patient lives at risk, pharmacists have warned.
Figures reveal that the number of products in short supply has doubled over the last two years, with drugs treating menopause and type 2 diabetes among those pharmacists can’t get hold of.
PA:Press AssociationPatients’ treatment is in some cases being delayed due to medicine shortages, pharmacists have warned[/caption]
Medicine to control epileptic seizures was the latest addition to the UK drugs shortage list, The Guardian reported.
According to the British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA), 111 drugs were facing supply problems on 30 October last year and 96 on 18 December.
Since then, a further 10 drug supply notifications have been issued.
This amounts to a 100 per cent increase in shortages compared with January 2022, The Guardian wrote.
The BGMA, a trade body representing manufacturers and suppliers of generic medicines, compiles the list of drugs in short supply based on figures the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) shares with it.
Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive at the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp), told Sun Health medicine shortages “have been consistently rising year-on-year” over the past few years.
She recalled how last January, pharmacies were still reeling from shortages of antibiotic treatments, as demand for them soared due to rising cases of Strep A.
Dr Hannbeck added: “Last year, we were told that diabetes medicines called GLP-1 agonists – including semaglutide – would be available by March 2024, but now it’s been delayed to end of this year.”
AIMp has “continuously raised concerns about medicines supply issues and the fact that our supply system is consistently unable to cope when demand for a medicine goes up”, she said.
Dr Hannbeck said treatments for ADHD and scabies, as well as some cancer medicines, were among the drugs affected by high demand.
Meanwhile, a recent ITV report said pharmacists were warning that over 100 different medicines like hormone replacement therapies (HRT) and drugs to treat cholesterol are routinely in short supply.
“The shortages are all over the country,” the AIMp chief executive stated.
This was echoed by Community Pharmacy England (CPE), the body that negotiates with the government and NHS on behalf of pharmacies.
“While shortages can have regional variation from time to time, at the moment we are seeing widespread issues across the country – and some are global too,” a CPE spokesperson told Sun Health.
Janet Morrison, CPE’s chief executive, said it had become “worryingly normal to see hundreds of medicines affected by pricing and other issues”, which chemists are having to grapple with daily.
“Pharmacy teams have been struggling to get hold of prescription medicines for many months but the problem is now worse than ever.”
Patients at risk due to ‘worrying delays’
When drugs are in short supply, it often means pharmacists will need to refer people back to their GP to get an alternative prescription
This back and forth adds an extra 11 hours to swamped pharmacy teams’ already heavy workloads, according to Ms Morrison.
But it can also mean that patients’ treatment gets delayed.
“Pharmacists we are worried that some of these medicines shortages have impact on patient safety because it affects their treatment, in some cases in delays their treatment,” Dr Hannbeck explained.
Ms Morrison referred to a survey completed by CPE last year, which found that 87 per cent of pharmacy worked said their patients’ health was being put a risk due to medicine supply issues.
“This is shocking, and Government and the NHS must step in to resolve these issues,” she stated.
Medicines supply issues are being caused by a combination of factors, such the war Ukraine, the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, regularoty barriers following Brexit and broader economic instability.
Dr Hannebeck said: “We have regularly discussed this matter with the government officials to ensure the DHSC puts in place processes and procedures that improve the current medicines supply system, because clearly something is not working.”
It comes as the government prepares the Pharmacy First scheme, allowing patients to get minor ailments treated at pharmacies rather than the GP.
From January 31, people in England will they’ll be able to get advice and prescription medicine for seven common conditions – including a sore throat and shingles.
With pharmacies already facing multiple pressures, there is concern about how teams will able to meet the demands of Pharmacy First.
Pharmacists have shared what you can do if you’re worried you won’t be able to access your medication due to shortages – read more here.