People across the UK have been urged not to panic despite concerns over a shortage of cough and cold medicines. There is a short supply of throat lozenges, cough mixtures, and even some painkillers amid an ongoing crisis in the NHS.
Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies, said pharmacists "are struggling to obtain the very basic, most common cold and flu medicine", reports the Mirror. "This isn’t just the branded medicines," she said, pointing toward problems with the supply chain.
"It is also simple things like throat lozenges, cough mixtures or pain killers – particularly the ones that are soluble." The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned that flu and COVID-19 were operating at high levels this winter, which might've contributed to the shortages.
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Highstreet chains, like Superdrug, said they were "currently experiencing exceptionally high demand for cold and flu products". Superdrug Pharmacy Superintendent Niamh McMillan said: "If your usual products are unavailable and you’re looking to relieve your symptoms, our pharmacists can offer advice on the most appropriate pain relief and decongestant products to help you."
Ms Hannbeck added that demand for medical supplies was higher this year than the previous. "The demand has been high because this season we’ve seen higher cases of colds and flu and people are obviously trying very hard to look after themselves and making sure that they use the relevant products to manage the symptoms.
"And that has led to a shortage of these products in terms of us not being able to obtain them." She said that supply problems are an issue they are "constantly finding" whenever demand for medicine goes up.
Health officials have warned parents to keep children with fever symptoms off school, while also encouraging adults to wear masks in public. Both recommended measures are a bid to try and put a dent in the spread of infections. The NHS is currently in the midst of a crisis, with severe backlogs, high A&E waiting times, and a shortage of beds just some of the severe difficulties it is facing.
Ms Hannbeck blamed a "lack of planning" by the government's health department for the shortages. Ms Hannbeck added: "But this is part of a bigger issue – from HRT to antibiotics to this, we are constantly finding ourselves in a situation when as soon as the demand for something goes up we are struggling with the supply."
Contributing to the crisis, the association says, is the lack of access to over-the-counter products. Without them, some may begin to "stress and panic" and resort to seeking hospital care. "For example, with cold and flu, we knew some months ago cases were going up and it was anticipated that there would be higher demand for these products."
"So you would have thought that plans would have been in place in terms of managing this with regards to liaising with manufacturers and getting the products in."
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