Britons have been warned by a pharmacist who claims shortages are "worse than ever".
This comes as several common medications used to treat illnesses such as epilepsy, type 2 diabetes and cancer are facing shortages. Experts have described the ongoing shortages as "shocking" and "worrying".
An updated list of NHS medications facing delays said 98 medicines were at risk as of December 2023.
This has continued to get "worse", according to an expert, and a supply warning has been shared to NHS providers for a further 10 treatments.
Various common medications are facing shortages
PA
Data by the British Generic Manufacturers Association showed medicine shortages have doubled in the UK over the last two years.
Now Tegretol - a drug used to treat epilepsy - has been added to the list of shortages, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Hormone treatments for those living with cancer - including letrozole, anastrozole and tamoxifen - have also been in short supply, an expert from Breast Cancer Now has warned.
ADHD medicine will face supply disruptions until April 2024 due to a failure in "stress-testing" the products that are developed overseas.
There are also ongoing shortages of many GLP-1 medications that are used for type 2 diabetes.
Head of care at Diabetes UK Douglas Twenefour described the shortages as a "major concern".
The chief executive of Community Pharmacy England Janet Morrison added: “Pharmacy teams have been struggling to get hold of prescription medicines for many months but the problem is now worse than ever.
"It has become worryingly normal to see hundreds of medicines affected by pricing and other issues every month, with problems now a daily occurrence for pharmacies.
"Pharmacies are having to spend hours – on average an extra 11 hours a week – tracking down the medicines their patients need.
"This all causes worrying delays for patients, and in worst cases it can lead to a deterioration of their health: last year we surveyed people working in pharmacies and 87 per cent told us that their patients’ health was being put at risk due to medicine supply issues.
"This is shocking, and Government and the NHS must step in to resolve these issues," The Guardian reported.
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Britons have been warned of the shortages
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A DHSC spokesperson said: “There are a number of reasons that a limited number of medicines may be unavailable, such as manufacturing difficulties, supply of raw materials, sudden demand spikes or issues with distribution.
"The department has well-established procedures to deal with such issues and works closely with industry, the NHS and others to prevent shortages, and resolve any problems as soon as they arise.
“This includes working closely with the NHS so they can put suggested plans in place to mitigate the risk of the shortage impacting patients.”
The NHS shared record drug shortages and a list of medications running low in the UK last year which was a result of a dispute over high NHS taxes.
A total of 111 products were caught up in supply problems, including 55 drugs classed as generic drugs.
