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BBC News
2 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
'It's horrible telling customers their medicine isn't available'
"It's horrible having to tell customers that their life-changing medicine isn't available any more."Harvinder Singh, a manager at Glasshouse Chemist in Nottingham, said it started experiencing stock shortages three years ago, and said this had fuelled customers' anger over said morale was low among staff, and added: "I understand it, I truly feel for our customers because they just want to improve their health and I can't help them."A survey published this month by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Pharmacy, a cross-party organisation, found medicine shortages were a "persistent and widespread issue". Medicines for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), epilepsy, blood pressure, as well as anti-depressant and hormone replacement therapy treatments were among the most affected, Harvinder many customers were understanding of the changes, others have become "irate and aggressive" towards staff, he added: "They say we're incompetent, that we don't know how to manage medicines, that our pharmacy is getting worse."The APPG on Pharmacy survey - of 112 pharmacists and team members - said 84% of pharmacists reported daily shortages, and another 14% experienced them several times a the survey, Labour MP Steve Race - chair of the APPG on Pharmacy - said action around shortages was "urgently needed". Harvinder explained staff often receive prescriptions that the pharmacy cannot supply due to shortages. They would then have to contact the customer's GP to find an alternative alternatives could have more side effects and be less effective, but Harvinder said "that's all we can offer them".He said, as a result of this, his pharmacy now spent 14 extra hours a week trying to tackle the shortages. "We don't have time to take care with our customers and answer their questions and help them understand their medicines - it's so limited now," Harvinder said being a pharmacist was "disheartening" right now, and added he even discouraged his children from studying pharmacy at university."It feels like our profession is sinking - it's not a nice place to be," he added. 'Too little too late' Harvinder said Pharmacy First - the initiative that refers the public to community pharmacies for minor illnesses and repeat medicines before attending GP practices - had been a positive said the scheme brought in more funds and had helped take pressure away from Harvinder is worried the initiative may be "too little too late"."We've expressed our concern, we've petitioned and seen no results," he added."Our regulators have acknowledged that there is an issue but they have never given us a solution."Rebecca Dickenson, clinical pharmacy lead for the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire integrated care board (ICB) - which oversees the city and county's pharmacies - said: "Any abuse of pharmacy staff is unacceptable under any circumstances."Our community pharmacies will do everything they possibly can to support patients, but sometimes aren't able to due to circumstances beyond their control."Medicine shortages are caused by national and sometimes global issues. Some medicines may not be available due to problems with manufacturing, transport, high demand, or issues sourcing the ingredients."She advised customers to only order medicines they need in good time, and try other pharmacies if they could not get it from their nominated chemist.
Express Tribune
16-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Govt, UK lawmakers discuss diaspora-driven investment
Listen to article Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan met with members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Pakistan at the House of Commons on Tuesday. According to an official statement, the meeting focused on strengthening bilateral economic ties, enhancing parliamentary cooperation, and tapping into the potential of the 1.7 million-strong British Pakistani diaspora to boost trade and investment. The minister briefed APPG members on Pakistan's recent economic reforms aimed at promoting macroeconomic stability and inclusive growth. He highlighted key initiatives such as tariff rationalisation under the National Tariff Policy, the launch of the Pakistan Single Window to facilitate trade, and the development of Special Economic Zones offering incentives to foreign investors. The two sides also discussed collaboration opportunities in green technologies, renewable energy, and Pakistan's growing IT sector. These areas were identified as key to positioning Pakistan as a competitive hub for UK firms seeking to diversify their supply chains. Minister Jam Kamal emphasised the diaspora's role in connecting both nations and urged continued parliamentary engagement and private sector cooperation to maintain momentum following the UK-Pakistan Trade Dialogue Mechanism signed earlier that day. The meeting reaffirmed a joint commitment to sustainable partnerships for mutual prosperity. Later in the day, the commerce minister also met Mohammad Yasin MP, the UK Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Pakistan, at the House of Commons. Pakistan's High Commissioner to the UK, Dr Mohammad Faisal, also attended the meeting. The minister congratulated Yasin on his appointment and appreciated his successful visit to Pakistan in June 2025, which helped lay the foundation for stronger economic cooperation. Both sides agreed on the need to deepen trade and investment ties by leveraging historical connections and the recently launched UK-Pakistan Trade and Investment Dialogue. Jam Kamal underscored the importance of the Dialogue in tackling market access issues, promoting investment, and increasing trade under the UK's Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). The minister also welcomed the formation of the UK-Pakistan Business Advisory Council (UKPBAC) and urged better coordination between diaspora entrepreneurs and chambers of commerce. Opportunities for collaboration were noted in key sectors including renewable energy, ICT, agriculture, and higher education. Both sides committed to boosting parliamentary links and exploring regular exchanges to advance political and economic relations.
Powys County Times
08-07-2025
- Health
- Powys County Times
Medicine shortages put patients at risk, MPs and peers warn
Patients are facing serious harm from persistent and widespread medicine shortages, MPs and peers have warned. A new report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on pharmacy called for urgent action to ensure shortages do not become the 'new normal'. It also highlights the impact that shortages are having on patients with the likes of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), menopause and diabetes. Writing in the report, Steve Race, chairman of the APPG on pharmacy, said many MPs 'have received a growing volume of correspondence from constituents who are understandably anxious about the availability of their medicines'. 'Whether it is a parent unable to access antibiotics for a sick child, an elderly patient facing delays in obtaining life-sustaining medication, or a pharmacist overwhelmed by the need to source alternatives, the human impact is both visible and deeply troubling,' he wrote. The report said that while medicine shortages are 'not a new phenomenon', they have 'become increasingly severe, persistent, and disruptive' in recent years – leading to consequences for patients, staff and the wider health service. Mr Race said: 'Medicines shortages have moved from isolated incidents to a chronic structural challenge for both the NHS and pharmacy sector. 'As Government continues to recognise and invest in the expanded clinical role of community pharmacy, we must ensure the medicines supply chain underpinning that care is equally robust, resilient and patient-focused. 'Pharmacy is central to NHS recovery and transformation, but frontline teams cannot safely expand clinical services while daily supply disruptions continue to impact the health of patients.' The findings also highlight how shortages severely impact patients with conditions like ADHD, menopause and diabetes. More than nine in 10 pharmacists, GPs and prescribers told an APPG survey ADHD medicines had been affected by shortages. Around three quarters (76%) said HRT and diabetes drugs had been affected, while 44% said antibiotics. One patient with ADHD told the inquiry they had been self-medicating with cannabis due to an ongoing shortage of methylphenidate. The report said: 'These shortages are having a significant impact on patients' ability to access treatments and in some cases are having serious impact on patients' health and well-being.' Mr Race added: 'Medicines security must be treated as a core component of NHS planning, alongside funding, workforce and digital infrastructure. 'Failure to act risks further undermining patient care and destabilising a community pharmacy sector that millions depend upon.' The APPG has laid out a number of recommendations, which includes a number of measures to better support patients. People impacted by shortages, particularly those with chronic conditions, struggle to find information on out of stock drugs, leading to 'frustration, dangerous delays in care, and unnecessary anxiety and harm', it said. It also welcomed work being carried out by the Department of Health and Social Care to potentially change pharmacist prescribing protocols to allow pharmacists to make dose and formulation changes during shortages. Elsewhere, the inquiry found more than eight in 10 pharmacists face daily shortages, with many spending hours every day finding alternative treatment and communicating with distressed patients. One told the APPG they are 'constantly firefighting'. Reacting to the report, Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), said: 'Pharmacy teams are under enormous pressure but are forced to spend hours hunting down stock for distressed and frustrated patients. 'It is particularly frustrating for pharmacists to be unable to meet a clear need when they have a perfectly safe and effective solution in their pharmacy already. 'MPs are right that it is madness to send someone back to their GP to get a prescription changed, and it risks a patient either delaying taking vital medication or forgoing it altogether, which poses a clear risk to patient safety. 'As the APPG says, the Government must allow pharmacists – who are highly trained health care practitioners – to use their professional judgment to supply an appropriate alternative medication when the prescribed version is unavailable.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'This government inherited ongoing global supply problems, but we have robust measures in place to mitigate disruption for patients. 'We are working to build the resilience of medicine supply chains and prevent future disruption as we get the NHS back on its feet. 'We have recently agreed an extra £617 million of funding over two years with Community Pharmacy England to support the sector and provide patients with more services closer to home as part of our 10 Year Health Plan.'
South Wales Guardian
08-07-2025
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
Medicine shortages put patients at risk, MPs and peers warn
A new report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on pharmacy called for urgent action to ensure shortages do not become the 'new normal'. It also highlights the impact that shortages are having on patients with the likes of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), menopause and diabetes. Writing in the report, Steve Race, chairman of the APPG on pharmacy, said many MPs 'have received a growing volume of correspondence from constituents who are understandably anxious about the availability of their medicines'. 'Whether it is a parent unable to access antibiotics for a sick child, an elderly patient facing delays in obtaining life-sustaining medication, or a pharmacist overwhelmed by the need to source alternatives, the human impact is both visible and deeply troubling,' he wrote. The report said that while medicine shortages are 'not a new phenomenon', they have 'become increasingly severe, persistent, and disruptive' in recent years – leading to consequences for patients, staff and the wider health service. Mr Race said: 'Medicines shortages have moved from isolated incidents to a chronic structural challenge for both the NHS and pharmacy sector. 'As Government continues to recognise and invest in the expanded clinical role of community pharmacy, we must ensure the medicines supply chain underpinning that care is equally robust, resilient and patient-focused. 'Pharmacy is central to NHS recovery and transformation, but frontline teams cannot safely expand clinical services while daily supply disruptions continue to impact the health of patients.' The findings also highlight how shortages severely impact patients with conditions like ADHD, menopause and diabetes. More than nine in 10 pharmacists, GPs and prescribers told an APPG survey ADHD medicines had been affected by shortages. Around three quarters (76%) said HRT and diabetes drugs had been affected, while 44% said antibiotics. One patient with ADHD told the inquiry they had been self-medicating with cannabis due to an ongoing shortage of methylphenidate. The report said: 'These shortages are having a significant impact on patients' ability to access treatments and in some cases are having serious impact on patients' health and well-being.' Mr Race added: 'Medicines security must be treated as a core component of NHS planning, alongside funding, workforce and digital infrastructure. 'Failure to act risks further undermining patient care and destabilising a community pharmacy sector that millions depend upon.' The APPG has laid out a number of recommendations, which includes a number of measures to better support patients. People impacted by shortages, particularly those with chronic conditions, struggle to find information on out of stock drugs, leading to 'frustration, dangerous delays in care, and unnecessary anxiety and harm', it said. It also welcomed work being carried out by the Department of Health and Social Care to potentially change pharmacist prescribing protocols to allow pharmacists to make dose and formulation changes during shortages. Elsewhere, the inquiry found more than eight in 10 pharmacists face daily shortages, with many spending hours every day finding alternative treatment and communicating with distressed patients. One told the APPG they are 'constantly firefighting'. Reacting to the report, Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), said: 'Pharmacy teams are under enormous pressure but are forced to spend hours hunting down stock for distressed and frustrated patients. 'It is particularly frustrating for pharmacists to be unable to meet a clear need when they have a perfectly safe and effective solution in their pharmacy already. 'MPs are right that it is madness to send someone back to their GP to get a prescription changed, and it risks a patient either delaying taking vital medication or forgoing it altogether, which poses a clear risk to patient safety. 'As the APPG says, the Government must allow pharmacists – who are highly trained health care practitioners – to use their professional judgment to supply an appropriate alternative medication when the prescribed version is unavailable.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'This government inherited ongoing global supply problems, but we have robust measures in place to mitigate disruption for patients. 'We are working to build the resilience of medicine supply chains and prevent future disruption as we get the NHS back on its feet. 'We have recently agreed an extra £617 million of funding over two years with Community Pharmacy England to support the sector and provide patients with more services closer to home as part of our 10 Year Health Plan.'
North Wales Chronicle
08-07-2025
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Medicine shortages put patients at risk, MPs and peers warn
A new report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on pharmacy called for urgent action to ensure shortages do not become the 'new normal'. It also highlights the impact that shortages are having on patients with the likes of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), menopause and diabetes. Writing in the report, Steve Race, chairman of the APPG on pharmacy, said many MPs 'have received a growing volume of correspondence from constituents who are understandably anxious about the availability of their medicines'. 'Whether it is a parent unable to access antibiotics for a sick child, an elderly patient facing delays in obtaining life-sustaining medication, or a pharmacist overwhelmed by the need to source alternatives, the human impact is both visible and deeply troubling,' he wrote. The report said that while medicine shortages are 'not a new phenomenon', they have 'become increasingly severe, persistent, and disruptive' in recent years – leading to consequences for patients, staff and the wider health service. Mr Race said: 'Medicines shortages have moved from isolated incidents to a chronic structural challenge for both the NHS and pharmacy sector. 'As Government continues to recognise and invest in the expanded clinical role of community pharmacy, we must ensure the medicines supply chain underpinning that care is equally robust, resilient and patient-focused. 'Pharmacy is central to NHS recovery and transformation, but frontline teams cannot safely expand clinical services while daily supply disruptions continue to impact the health of patients.' The findings also highlight how shortages severely impact patients with conditions like ADHD, menopause and diabetes. More than nine in 10 pharmacists, GPs and prescribers told an APPG survey ADHD medicines had been affected by shortages. Around three quarters (76%) said HRT and diabetes drugs had been affected, while 44% said antibiotics. One patient with ADHD told the inquiry they had been self-medicating with cannabis due to an ongoing shortage of methylphenidate. The report said: 'These shortages are having a significant impact on patients' ability to access treatments and in some cases are having serious impact on patients' health and well-being.' Mr Race added: 'Medicines security must be treated as a core component of NHS planning, alongside funding, workforce and digital infrastructure. 'Failure to act risks further undermining patient care and destabilising a community pharmacy sector that millions depend upon.' The APPG has laid out a number of recommendations, which includes a number of measures to better support patients. People impacted by shortages, particularly those with chronic conditions, struggle to find information on out of stock drugs, leading to 'frustration, dangerous delays in care, and unnecessary anxiety and harm', it said. It also welcomed work being carried out by the Department of Health and Social Care to potentially change pharmacist prescribing protocols to allow pharmacists to make dose and formulation changes during shortages. Elsewhere, the inquiry found more than eight in 10 pharmacists face daily shortages, with many spending hours every day finding alternative treatment and communicating with distressed patients. One told the APPG they are 'constantly firefighting'. Reacting to the report, Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), said: 'Pharmacy teams are under enormous pressure but are forced to spend hours hunting down stock for distressed and frustrated patients. 'It is particularly frustrating for pharmacists to be unable to meet a clear need when they have a perfectly safe and effective solution in their pharmacy already. 'MPs are right that it is madness to send someone back to their GP to get a prescription changed, and it risks a patient either delaying taking vital medication or forgoing it altogether, which poses a clear risk to patient safety. 'As the APPG says, the Government must allow pharmacists – who are highly trained health care practitioners – to use their professional judgment to supply an appropriate alternative medication when the prescribed version is unavailable.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'This government inherited ongoing global supply problems, but we have robust measures in place to mitigate disruption for patients. 'We are working to build the resilience of medicine supply chains and prevent future disruption as we get the NHS back on its feet. 'We have recently agreed an extra £617 million of funding over two years with Community Pharmacy England to support the sector and provide patients with more services closer to home as part of our 10 Year Health Plan.'
