A warning has been issued over a shortage of Calpol on store shelves. Shoppers have been warned that shops across the UK are experiencing low stock in Calpol, including high street pharmacies and chemists.
In addition to Calpol, it has been reported that there are also low supplies of Lemsip and Gaviscon, reports Birmingham Live. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association for Independent Multiple Pharmacies, said: "Supplies of liquid paracetamol and ibuprofen, which are given to children to ease pain, are very low indeed.
"Pharmacists are spending a lot of time trying to ensure we get drips of medicines coming through – at least one variant of each – so patients are not left completely high and dry. It's not just children's painkillers that are affected – it's a range of other very common medicines including Sterimar congestion relief nasal spray for babies, Lemsip, Gaviscon, Optrex and [constipation treatment] Senokot."
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She explained that shortages are due "factory constraints" and "issues with production of the raw ingredients used to make common drugs in China and India." The expert continued: "Please don't hoard these medicines – there's no need to be concerned and pharmacists are doing everything they can to ease the situation."
The shortages come just months after the last warnings. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said in a statement today: "We know how distressing and frustrating medicine supply issues can be, but we want to assure people that we have well-established processes with an aim to prevent supply issues occurring in the first instance, and to manage or mitigate them when they occur.
"We work with a wide range of organisations operating in the UK medicine supply chain to provide advice and help ensure that patients continue to have access to safe and effective treatments."
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