Pharmacists are struggling to get basic cold and flu cures as winter bugs continue to breed.
Throat lozenges, cough drops and some painkillers are in short supply, according to the Association of Independent Pharmacies.
Its CEO, Leila Hannbeck, said the lack of planning by government officials coincided with strong demand for products due to rising cold, flu and Covid cases.
“Pharmacists are struggling to get the simplest and most common cold and flu medicines,” Ms Hannbeck said.
“These are not just branded drugs, these are simple things like throat drops, cough medicine or painkillers, especially those that are soluble.”
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned parents not to send sick children to school as officials consider reintroducing Covid-style policies, such as advice to wear masks on public transport and simplified versions of social media. The government believes that the National Health Service is on the verge of collapse due to the increase in the incidence in the winter. I.
It also comes as NHS Trust leaders are reporting a record number of people going to emergency rooms and senior medical professionals reporting an “unbearable” strain on the healthcare system this winter.
Ms Hannbeck said the shortage was part of a larger planning problem as the industry anticipated an escalation in winter sickness months ago and waited for agreements with manufacturers.
“From hormone replacement therapy to antibiotics, we constantly find ourselves in a situation where we struggle with the supply whenever the demand for something increases.“
Several people have reported difficulty buying Lemsip and Day & Night Nurse capsules online, one of them said: “Today I tried to buy Lemsip for my brother, went to several pharmacies and everyone said the same thing – they can’t get it from suppliers .
“We have supply chain issues and they are getting worse.”
Ms Hannbeck said the problem threatened to overwhelm an already overburdened National Health Service.
“What we see and what is worrying is that when people go to pharmacies and try to get OTC products, especially for young children, people get stressed and panicked and we don’t want more people to come. to your GP or the emergency room” when the NHS is already under a lot of pressure,” she said.
She argued that she was not responsible for supply problems with pharmacies, as was the case with a shortage of antibiotics to treat growing cases of Streptococcus A in early December.
Ms Hannbeck said: “Whenever there is a demand for something – like Streptococcus A (where demand for antibiotics peaked) cases spiked in October, and in early December the government said there were no supply problems. was – when they were, there were obvious problems with the supply. – and then they had to issue a severe shortage report proving that there really was a supply problem.
“If you deny there is a supply problem, if you don’t want to admit there is a problem, how can you find a solution?”
Retail chain Superdrug said there is a strong demand for cough and cold medicines.
Super Drug Dispensary Superintendent Niam McMillan said: “We are currently experiencing exceptionally high demand for cold and flu products.
“If your usual products are not available and you want to relieve your symptoms, our pharmacists can advise you on the most suitable pain and decongestant products to help you.”
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.