TWO of the most popular children’s medicine used to remedy flu-like symptoms are in very short supply, chemists have warned.
High street pharmacies across the UK are running out of several medicine cabinet essentials including Calpol and Nurofen as widespread shortages worsen.
GettyPharmacists across the UK are running out of several medicine cabinet essentials as shortages worsen[/caption]
Cough mixtures, including Benylin and Robitusson are also a “nightmare” for many pharmacies to get hold of, The Sun has been told.
It comes just months after chemists experienced widespread shortage of several antibiotics following a Strep A outbreak and many cold and flu medicines – including Calpol.
Pharmacy bosses previously The Sun the shortages could last for ‘several months’.
Sri Kanaparthy, a pharmacist from Durham, who is struggling to replenish stocks, said the shortages are now “even worse” than before.
Order forms seen by The Sun also showed shortages of Lemsip drink sachets and paracetamol.
Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association for Independent Multiple Pharmacies, said the medicines shortages are “widespread” and are likely to affect “everyone.”
She said: “We don’t know how long these shortages will last but it’s not getting better.
“The manufacturers tell us the shortages are caused by raw ingredients not being available in China and India.”
The costs of packaging going up for manufacturers and the rising energy and fuel costs means deliveries are more expensive, she explained.
In some cases, pharmacists are being forced to buy medicines from manufacturers at double the price of what they were previously, as they scramble for supplies.
Dr Leyla added: “People need to be aware that when they are at pharmacy and their medicine is out of stock it’s not the pharmacists fault.”
A Department of Health spokesperson said: “We know how distressing and frustrating medicine supply issues can be, but we want to assure people that we have well-established processes with an aim to prevent supply issues occurring in the first instance, and to manage or mitigate them when they occur.
“We work with a wide range of organisations operating in the UK medicine supply chain to provide advice and help ensure that patients continue to have access to safe and effective treatments.”
Calpol manufacturer Johnson and Johnson said: “We are experiencing high consumer demand driven by an extremely challenging cold and flu season.
“We recognise this is a difficult time for parents and caregivers, and we are doing everything we can to make sure people have access to the Calpol products they need, including maximising our production capacity.
“While products may be less readily available at some stores, we are not experiencing widespread shortages of Calpol.”