Top News

Shortages of blood pressure medicines are set to get worse in the coming months as more manufacturers consider withdrawing their products from the UK market, a pharmacy leader has warned. Chemists have struggled to reliably supply medication needed to prevent heart attacks and strokes, such as propranolol and ramipril, in recent months.

Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association, told the Express the situation was "getting worse" because the UK does not pay manufacturers enough for some common generic medicines. She explained: "The generic medicines are the most dispensed medicines in the UK, and the key reason for these shortages is the low prices of these medicines, some as low as 3p, which is way lower than a pack of Smarties.

It is simply not viable for manufacturers to distribute their medicines in the UK because the Government has driven these prices so low, and the UK market is unattractive for these manufacturers, hence they reduce their supply."

Dr Hannbeck explained that prices can suddenly rocket by up to 500% during supply shortages.

This can leave pharmacies out of pocket if the price rises above the amount the Government is willing to reimburse.

Dr Hannbeck said: "For example, a pack of Aspirin, which is very commonly used, that was 69p has gone up to over £3 overnight leaving many pharmacies unable to afford buying the usual quantities.

"In addition, pharmacies only get compensation two months after they have dispensed the medicines which means that for two months they are left out of pocket and during a time when they are already struggling financially due to funding issues this has significant impact on their cashflow."

Dr Hannbeck said patients should be reassured that pharmacists are doing everything they can to supply substitute medications where appropriate, and to sound the alarm about the seriousness of the situation.

She added: "Patients can support their local pharmacies by writing to the local MP and raising these concerns and asking for their pharmacies to be adequately remunerated.

"The Government needs to listen because this is going to become very serious as it is becoming less affordable for manufacturers to supply these medicines at such cheap prices.

"We have repeatedly highlighted to the authorities that the medicines supply chain in the UK is at risk of collapsing."