A survey of thousands of pharmacists has found that patients’ health is being put at risk by record drug shortages in England, leaving patients and pharmacists frustrated they cannot get the medicines they need. “I just feel like the government and the NHS aren’t taking this seriously enough, because we’re firefighting in the background silently,” says Reena Barai, who owns and runs a pharmacy in south-west London. “They’re not realising the impact of this.
Is it going to take patients to die without medication for them to start waking up and realising that this is a really serious issue that needs solving?” View image in fullscreen Ian Strachan owns four pharmacies in the north-west of England. Barai is far from alone. Ian Strachan, who owns four pharmacies in the north-west, says: “If you’re on an inhaler, you need that inhaler; if it’s insulin, then you need that insulin.
If patients are going without medication now, they are at risk of exposing themselves to more complications. “I’ve had patients who have been hospitalised because of the anxiety and stress about the uncertainty of finding their medicines.” “We should not be putting patients under this stress, they’re already ill,” agrees Fin McCaul, an independent community pharmacy owner in Prestwich, Greater Manchester.
“Worrying about whether their tablets are going to be there just doesn’t help them get better.” Anil Sharma, who co-owns and runs eight pharmacies in Cambridgeshir.
