Millions of people worldwide who use certain common medicines may be finding it more difficult to get their normal prescriptions dispensed. This comes after pharmacies across the UK, the US and Europe have all reported shortages of many different drugs, including those often prescribed for menopause, dementia, depression and pain.
There are many reasons why disruptions in the pharmaceutical supply chain occur, including manufacturing issues, supplier and price changes, increased demand, stockpiling and panic buying. For example, both reduced supply and growing demand may partly explain why hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products have faced recent shortages.
