UK to expire of those 4 widespread medicines ‘in simply days’
Common drugs and medicines are running low with stocks completely dry by the end of Easter, it has been warned
The drugs are in short supply, say experts(Image: Getty Images)
The UK is running out of vital medications with stocks set to run fully dry within just days, experts have warned. The country is facing a medical crisis for some patients as it emerged four common medications are running dangerously low.
Medical bosses are concerned over an ongoing “serious risk” to the country’s drugs supply. The Middle East war is causing chaos for bringing some supplies in for chains, with routes over the sea blocked for safety.
And now medicine bosses say the continued conflict “poses a significant risk to future UK medicine supplies”, despite the UK Government saying the opposite. The government has said “there are currently no shortages of medical products or medicines reported as a result of conflict in the Middle East”, but this is not right according to pharmacy experts who have issued a warning over four drugs.
Efudix, Creon, Bendamustine, and Fluorouracil are the ones we are running dangerously low on, it has been said.
Efudix, Fluorouracil and Bendamustine are chemotherapy drugs, while Creon treats pancreatic cancer specifically.
Dr Leyla Hannbeck, CEO of Independent Pharmacies Association, said: “In addition to Efudix, Creon – for pancreatic cancer – has been in short supply for a long time and has been rationed.”
She added: “Bendamustine, Fluorouracil and several other chemotherapy medicines are in short supply at the moment.
“We expect this to get worse in the coming days or weeks unless the government gets its plans together.”
Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association said: “We’re not currently seeing shortages of medicine directly linked to the conflict in the Middle East, but pharmacies are seeing disturbing spikes in prices which can be an early indicator of challenges.
“The Department of Health has issued unprecedented numbers of price concessions designed to cope with price surges, which are likely exacerbated by this current situation.”
Henry added: “It’s clear that medicine prices are soaring for pharmacies, as this crisis unfolds with the government issuing an unprecedented number of price concessions in an attempt to cover the growing price of many essential medicines.
“Government price concessions are 120 per cent higher than they were at the same time last year.
“We expect this continue if this situation is prolonged, if the cost of raw materials and other aspects of the manufacturing process increases.
“Pharmacies are already facing a medicine supply crisis before the conflict started, and although we are not currently seeing a direct impact on supplies we have been warning for years of growing issues in an increasingly fragile supply chain.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are working closely with industry partners to help ensure the continued supply of medical products, and we actively monitor emerging threats to supply resilience.
“There are established processes in place to manage disruption across the health and social care sector, including holding significant buffer stocks and the procurement of alternative products where necessary.”
