Patients being put at risk by medicine supply shortages pharmacy leaders warn

Almost every pharmacy is unable to dispense prescriptions at least once a day

Patients are being put at risk by medicine supply shortages which leave pharmacies unable to dispense prescriptions at least once a day, health leaders have warned.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA), which represents 6,000 independent community pharmacies, said the Government must urgently grant much greater flexibility for pharmacists to substitute medication when it is safe to do so.

At the moment, patients must go back to their GP for a new prescription if the item or dose they have been prescribed is out of stock.

The only exception to this rule is in very limited circumstances when a Serious Shortage Protocol has been issued by the NHS.

In January, Lancashire coroner Christopher Long wrote to Health Secretary Wes Streeting on this issue following the death of two-year-old Ava Hodgkinson.

He told how she died of overwhelming sepsis from a strep A infection after delays in receiving antibiotics due to restrictions preventing a pharmacist from amending an out-of-stock prescription.

Mr Long wrote: “Ava had seen her GP who had prescribed amoxicillin with a dose of 250mg/5ml.

“The pharmacy did not have this strength in stock but did have amoxicillin 125mg/5ml in stock.

“(They) could not issue this as restrictions currently in place prevent a pharmacist issuing any different strength of medication without an amended prescription, even where the medication can be provided to enable the same dose to be administered (here Ava’s parents could have been instructed to provide 10ml enabling the same dose of antibiotics to be provided).

“This led to a delay in Ava receiving antibiotics.”

The NPA said the rules must change, and quickly, adding it believes any changes being currently considered by the Government are too limited in scope.

It said its survey of 500 pharmacies found all were unable to dispense a prescription at least once a day due to supply problems.

Published: 10/03/2025 by Radio NewsHubClick here to read this story in full at Radio News Hub