Drug shortages in England beyond criticism, pharmacists warn

Pharmacists have warned that drug shortages in England are now at such critical levels that patients are at risk of immediate harm and even death.

The situation is so bad that pharmacists have to pay more and more debts because patients tell someone that only part of their prescription can be dispensed and ask them to come back for the rest later, after the pharmacist has obtained the remaining.

Hundreds of different medicines have become difficult or impossible to get, according to Community Pharmacy England (CPE), which published the report. Widespread and often long-lasting shortages posed immediate risks to the health and well-being of patients and caused distress, he said.

The drug supply challenges facing community pharmacies and their patients are not critical, said CPE Executive Director Janet Morrison. Patients with a wide range of clinical and therapeutic needs are affected daily and this goes far beyond discomfort, generating frustration, anxiety and affecting their health.

For some patients not having access to the medicines they need, it can have very serious consequences, even forcing them to visit A&E. Drug shortages are causing delays for patients to access certain critical or life-saving medications in a timely manner.

Recent months have seen key drugs to treat type 2 diabetes, ADHD and epilepsy become unavailable. Last year there was a shortage of HRT, adrenaline and antibiotics.

James Davies, the director of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of England, said: Drug shortages are disrupting the treatment of some patients and destabilizing their health.

He added that drug manufacturers, wholesalers and suppliers needed to work more closely with ministers and the NHS to ensure a more stable supply of drugs.

CPE, which represents England’s 10,500 community pharmacies, based its findings on a survey of the views of 6,100 pharmacy owners and 2,000 of their staff. He found:

• 79% of pharmacy staff said drug shortages put patients’ health at risk.

• 91% of pharmacy owners had seen a significant increase in the problem since last year.

• 99% of pharmacy workers found a medication out of stock at least once a week and 72% found it out of stock several times a day.

Pharmacists are on the receiving end of abuse and hostility from patients who are frustrated and angry at not being able to get their prescribed medications.

“Most people are very understanding, but they are worried and scared, and inevitably sometimes that spills over and we have people taking it from us,” said Fin McCaul, the owner of an independent community pharmacy in Greater Manchester. We’ve had upset and angry patients, and occasions of people spitting on us. I have staff in tears regularly at the end of the day from the sheer pressure of it all.

Overall, 84% of pharmacy staff have experienced assault by patients, CPE said.

Experts said global supply and manufacturing problems were contributing to the drugs being unavailable. But, Morrison added, low drug prices have made the UK a less attractive market for manufacturers and this is contributing to reduced supply chain resilience.

In a major report last month, the Nuffield Trust think tank warned that drug shortages had become the new normal and were being made worse by Brexit.

Mark Dayan, the head of the Brexit programme, said: Almost every available indicator shows that from 2021 we have experienced again and again an unthinkable level of drug shortages. The crisis jumps between products and conditions, with no sign of slowing down.

While other western countries such as Italy and Germany are also affected by supply disruptions, Brexit creates some additional hurdles for the UK because our market is now partially cut off from the wider European pool of supplies, Dayan added .

Other drugs in short supply include insulin, which type 1 diabetics must take, and the liquid form of salbutamol, which is used to treat severe breathing problems in asthma patients.

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: There are around 14,000 licensed medicines and the vast majority are in good supply. Supply issues can arise for a wide range of reasons and are not specific to the UK.