Health chiefs have warned of antibiotic shortages across Scotland because of soaring Strep A infections nationwide.
As the death toll in the UK from Strep A reached 16 yesterday, GPs were warned them to expect drug shortages to last for the rest of the year.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf insisted yesterday that there were no supply issues for antibiotics. But Labour claimed that a message sent to GPs showed there was an “alarming” lack of drugs available to treat Strep A infections.
An email issued yesterday from a Scottish NHS official to GPs, locums and pharmacy managers in Scotland stated: “An increase in Strep A cases has led to a surge in demand for oral penicillin V and amoxicillin (liquid presentations are particularly affected).
“The Department of Health medicines supply team is takingthe lead at UK level on liaising with manufacturers and distributors and we are expecting them to shortly issue a medicines supply alert.”
The email went on to say that “surges in purchasing have led to temporary stock-outs of some of the lines at wholesale level and there is variation in stockholding at pharmacy levels”.
Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “These reports of antibiotic shortages are alarming. Our NHS is already facing unprecedented pressure this winter, so we cannot afford to be ill-prepared.
“The Health Secretary cannot keep dismissing these concerns – we urgently need honesty about what is going on.”
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf denied there were antibiotic shortages yesterday, saying: “There’s no shortage of supply.
"I’ve spoken to the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer and had guarantees around the stock and supply, so we’ll keep a close eye on it, but there’s no supply issues on antibiotics.”
UK Health Secretary Steve Barclay also insisted on Wednesday the level of supply of the necessary antibiotics was “not a concern at the moment”.
But shortages have been reported by doctors and patients.
One East End of Glasgow GP emailed colleagues telling them: “We have reports of shortages of amoxicillin and penicillin, solid doses and liquid formulations in both primary care and acute.
“There may be some limited stock available in wholesalers but disruptions are likely to continue until at least the end of December.”
Sixteen children have now died from iGAS, a deadly form of Strep A infection, including Stella-Lilly McCorkindale from Northern Ireland, Hannah Roap from Wales and four-year-old Muhammad Ibrahim from England.
While there have been no deaths in Scotland, 13 children under 10 have contracted iGAS and around 1200 Scots children have been diagnosed with Strep A since October.
Baillie has received emails from concerned patients in her Dumbarton constituency about the lack of medicine available locally.
One mum, who has a two-year-old son, told of her battle to get medicine. Her child has been diagnosed with tonsillitis but his throat has been swabbed to further test for Strep A.
She was given a prescription for amoxicillin but her local pharmacy said it had run out because so many children were needing antibiotics.
She phoned more than 20 pharmacies and none could give her the medication. She had to return to her GP for an alternative drug and struggled to get that one too.
Eventually the mum travelled several miles to Morrison’s pharmacy in Anniesland, Glasgow, for the alternative and was told it was the last dose they had.
The mum said: “After facing such difficulty trying to get a prescription for my ill child, I am worried for other parents locally who are unable to travel to access the right medication.
"I am surprised that during winter when we know lots of children are likely to pick up any number of illnesses, we are seeing shortages of medication such as antibiotics.”
Baillie said: “If this is happening here, there is a real risk it could be happening in different parts of the country.”
Infections caused by Strep A include the skin infection impetigo, scarlet fever, strep throat, cellulitis, rheumatic fever and the more serious streptococcal toxic shock syndrome and necrotising fasciitis.
While the vast majority of infections are relatively mild, sometimes the bacteria cause iGAS, a life-threatening infection. During FMQs on Thursday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the issue would be discussed at the next Scottish Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
She said the majority of cases “are mild and can be treated with penicillin”. But she admitted: “There is no room for complacency and we will continue to monitor the situation very closely.”
Last night, a Scottish Government spokesman insisted there was an “adequate supply of antibiotics to treat Strep A in the UK”.
He added: “Wholesalers and manufacturers are working at speed to replenish the stock on an ongoing basis and further work is in hand to further strengthen the supply chain resilience.”
Antibiotics used to tackle Strep A are already running out of stock in some pharmacies, healthcare chiefs admitted yesterday.
Earlier this week, we told of children being diagnosed with the disease in schools across Ayrshire, with doctors prescribing antibiotics to treat those affected.
Now, some parents are struggling to pick up penicillin from pharmacies in the area. NHS Ayrshire & Arran health confirmed yesterday that some local pharmacies are out of stock of certain medicines, including antibiotics.
The health board has blamed an increase in “volumes of prescribing” of one of the key causes of the shortage.
Health chiefs have advised that some patients may need to travel beyond their usual local pharmacy in order to source antibiotics.
Roisin Kavanagh, director of pharmacy at NHS Ayrshire and Arran said: “While unfortunately some patients may need to travel beyond their local pharmacy to source products, there are supplies available within the network of 99 pharmacies in Ayrshire and Arran.”
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