NHS patients are experiencing some of the most severe shortages of medicines on record, including common painkillers, epilepsy drugs, and hormone replacement therapy (HRT), health leaders have warned. The shortages have forced some patients with impaired digestive systems to skip meals.
Warning from Health Leaders
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has warned that medicine shortages pose a serious risk to patient safety. The Royal College of GPs has also raised concerns about the impact on patients, GPs, and pharmacists. Both organizations have highlighted long-lasting supply issues affecting Estradot, an HRT for menopausal women, and Creon, a drug taken by people with pancreatic cancer and cystic fibrosis to aid digestion.
Serious shortage protocols (SSPs) have been in place for Estradot for one-and-a-half years and for Creon for two years, a new NHS record. The SSPs were recently extended until 10 July. Introduced by the Department of Health as an emergency short-term measure, SSPs are now being used for extended periods.
Patient Stories
Pharmacies report that some patients are rationing medication or skipping meals due to inability to obtain supplies. Bryony Thomas, a 48-year-old pancreatic cancer survivor from Stroud, Gloucestershire, relies on Creon for life because her pancreas does not produce digestive enzymes. She has been affected by shortages for two years and has had to ration the drug. She shares medication with other patients through social media groups to avoid rationing.
Thomas described a three-month period when she could not obtain Creon, forcing her to reduce her food intake. She panics when her supply drops below one month. Her mother-in-law makes four-hour round trips to the only pharmacy in Crewe, Cheshire, where the drug is available. Thomas calls for a central distribution mechanism to pool Creon supplies from deceased patients, as current stocks are destroyed.
Patients spend hours on the phone and driving between pharmacies, she said.
Common Medications Affected
Pharmacies are struggling to source commonly dispensed medicines, including Ramipril for high blood pressure, and painkillers such as low-dose aspirin and co-codamol. The NPA cited the Middle East conflict as a factor increasing supply chain volatility, but not the only cause. Other factors include lack of ingredients, manufacturing disruption, the UK's smaller medicines budget compared to other EU countries, and changing prescribing habits for HRT. Prices of some drugs, such as paracetamol and cetirizine for hay fever, have increased.
Call for Action
The NPA, representing 6,000 independent community pharmacies in the UK, urges the government to convene an urgent taskforce including medicine manufacturers, wholesalers, and clinicians. Over 1,000 GPs and pharmacists will meet in Birmingham at an NPA conference this weekend to discuss improved information sharing about medicines.
Pharmacists and GPs spend significant time managing shortages, sourcing scarce drugs, and altering prescriptions, causing patient inconvenience and worry.
Olivier Picard, NPA chair and pharmacist, said: Medicine shortages are becoming more frequent, lasting longer, and causing increasing disruption for patients. These shortages are some of the most severe the UK has experienced. It is deeply distressing to find patients who have travelled from pharmacy to pharmacy without success. In some instances, they pose a serious risk to patient safety.
Picard called for legislation allowing pharmacies to substitute prescriptions with safe alternatives when in stock.
Prof Victoria Tzortziou Brown, president of the Royal College of GPs, said: Medicine shortages can be frustrating for patients, GPs, and pharmacists, especially when patients endure back and forth to acquire suitable alternatives. It is essential that underlying causes are quickly identified and resolved.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: The overwhelming majority of medicines licensed in the UK are in good supply, and patients should know that when visiting the pharmacy, their prescriptions will be available. Ensuring robust supply is vital, and this government is making significant investments in the UK medicine manufacturing industry to strengthen it.
