Medicine shortages in the United Kingdom (UK) have reached a critical point, and the country’s exit from the European Union (EU), the so-called Brexit, has worsened an already bad situation, according to a report published on Thursday.
The report, authored by Mark Dayan, of the Nuffield Trust, paints a worrying picture of a health system struggling with the “new normal” of shortages of essential medicines.
The revelations highlight dramatic shortages of key medicines, creating profound challenges for healthcare professionals, pharmacies, the National Health Service (NHS), and patients.
According to the report, the number of warnings issued by drug companies about impending supply problems more than doubled, rising from 648 in 2020 to 1,634 last year.
Dayan expressed deep concern over the unprecedented problem of drug shortages.
“The increase in shortages of vital medicines from rare to common is a shocking development that few would have expected ten years ago. More and more patients across the UK are being told by their pharmacist that their medicine is not available and may not be available anytime soon,” he said.
He also said that Brexit has caused several additional problems, as products no longer flow smoothly across borders with the EU.
The ongoing shortage of medicines vital to the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), type 2 diabetes,and epilepsy is particularly alarming, the report said.
