Australia faces ‘dire’ shortage of more than 300 medicines, doctors and pharmacists warn

Among Australia’s reported shortages of medicines are off-the-shelf cold and flu medications, including liquid paracetamol for children. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images

Australia faces a “dire” medicine shortage, with more than 300 drugs in short supply and another 80 anticipated to join the list, as doctors and pharmacists call for a national strategy to prevent the situation getting worse.

Drugs for diabetes, hormone replacement therapy, depression, nausea, stroke and contraception are among the 320 drugs listed by the TGA as in current short supply, with about 50 of these listed as critical.