Medicine shortages in England ‘beyond critical’, pharmacists warn

Survey has revealed challenges faced by pharmacists and risk of harm to patients as key drugs are unavailable

• ‘We’re firefighting in the background’: the pharmacists coping with record drug shortages

Drug shortages in England are now at such critical levels that patients are at risk of immediate harm and even death, pharmacists have warned.

The situation is so serious that pharmacists increasingly have to issue “owings” to patients – telling someone that only part of their prescription can be dispensed and asking them to come back for the rest of it later, once the pharmacist has sourced the remainder.

79% of pharmacy staff said that medicine shortages were putting patient health at risk.

91% of pharmacy owners had seen a “significant increase” in the problem since last year.

99% of pharmacy workers found a drug was unavailable at least weekly, and 72% encountered that several times a day.