How the 'tripledemic' is restricting cold and flu medicine supplies – and what to do if you're affected

The UK, Canada and the US are all reportedly experiencing shortages of over-the-counter cold and flu medications. Mircea Maties/ Shutterstock

This winter has been one of the worst on record for the NHS. Ambulance and A&E waiting times are at all-time highs, and many are struggling to access emergency treatment.

Patients are now reporting difficulties accessing certain over-the-counter medicines used to treat colds and flu from pharmacies and high-street outlets. While medicine shortages have been a common phenomenon in previous years, they have often been the result of supply chain issues due to global events, such as the pandemic or the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But these aren’t the same reasons people are reporting when experiencing shortages of non-prescription, over-the-counter products.