Urgent warning as High Street chemists on red alert over low supplies of Calpol and other everyday medicines
HIGH street pharmacies are struggling to get hold of Calpol and other common medicines as a new wave of shortages affects patients.
It comes just months after chemists across the UK experienced a shortage of antibiotics and cold and flu medicines.
Stocks of several types of liquid painkiller, including Calpol are extremely low, leaving chemists struggling for supplies.
Other medicines such as Lemsip and Gaviscon are also now difficult to get hold of.
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.”
She added that the manufacturers say that shortages are due to “factory constraints” and “issues with production of the raw ingredients used to make common drugs in China and India.”
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And that the soaring price of glass, that is used for many of the products is adding to the problem.
But she urged patients not to panic buy, saying: “Please don’t hoard these medicines – there’s no need to be concerned and pharmacists are doing everything they can to ease the situation.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: ‘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.’
This new wave of shortages comes just months after chemists across the UK were experiencing a shortage of antibiotics, and cold and flu medicines.
Experts warned at the time that without “drastic action” the shortages of some medication “will only get worse.”
The Sun have approached Boots UK Limited for comment.