Pharmacists have sounded the alarm over medicine shortages, with half believing patients have been put at risk, according to a survey. A poll of 1,562 UK pharmacists for the Pharmaceutical Journal found that more than half (54%) believed patients had been put at risk in the last six months due to shortages.
Some patients have been facing difficulties accessing some medicines in recent months, sometimes having to go to multiple pharmacies to find their prescription or needing to go back to their GP to be prescribed an alternative drug. The problem came to the fore when shortages of hormone replacement therapy drugs led to an outcry earlier this year.
Since June, the Government has issued a number of “medicine supply notifications”, which highlight shortages. Some of these include: pain relief drugs used in childbirth; mouth ulcer medication; migraine treatment; an antihistamine; a drug used among prostate cancer and endomitosis patients; an antipsychotic drug used among bipolar disorder and schizophrenia patients; a type of inhaler and a certain brand of insulin.
