Hay fever tablets are declining across the country due to chlorphenamine maleate deficiency –

Hay fever tablets are running out across the country due to ingredient shortages, and the timing couldn’t be worse as forecasters predict rising pollen levels.

Stocks of chlorphenamine maleate, an active ingredient in pyriton drugs and other similar drugs, are often limited.

Piriton tablets for adults are out of stock online at Boots, Lloyds Pharmacy, and Coop Pharmacy, although children’s syrups are still available.

The time comes when the drug shortage in the UK reaches its worst ever, affecting hormone replacement therapy, steroids and blood pressure medication as well.

Around 500,000 patients in the UK are affected by shortages attributed to rising raw material costs, changes to post-Brexit trade rules, and the Covid lockdowns in China.

Boots says Chlorphenamine maleate is an active ingredient in Piriton medications, and they’re out of supplies. image file

A spokesperson for Boots The Daily Telegraph said they expect the hay fever tablets “to resolve soon”.

“A very limited number of lines are currently out of stock due to the huge shortage of chlorphenamine maleate in the industry. However, we expect this to be resolved as soon as possible,” he said.

While deficiencies occur only in drugs containing chlorphenamine maleate, other types of antihistamines are more readily available.

Obviously, tablets using cetirizine hydrochloride are widely available, including Allacan, Benadryl, Piriteze, and private label varieties.

Both cetirizine and chlorphenamine can be used to treat hay fever, but people find it more convenient for them, the NHS says.

Medications that use cetirizine hydrochloride are less likely to make a person feel sleepy as a side effect.

Pollen levels are expected to peak when the two main species—trees and grasses—are released simultaneously in mid-May.

Tree pollen is most common between late March and mid-May, while grass pollen lasts longer and is released from mid-May to July. It is also the variety that most people are allergic to.

Met Office meteorologist Sarah Kent said: Pollen levels will be high in most of England today and Tuesday.

‘Right now it’s mostly tree pollen, but grass season is just getting started.

“If you’re sensitive to grass pollen, you may start to notice more symptoms.”

Besides climate change, it is thought that the pollen season may be extended in the future due to the warmer climate bringing more invasive and pollen-rich plants into the country.

The problem with hay fever tablets comes as the UK has faced a general shortage of medicines in recent weeks.

According to the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiation Committee, two-thirds of pharmacists face supply problems every day.

And many are forced to help aggressive patients after being told that prescription drugs are not available.

The Times found that there were 67 different drugs on the affected product list; this is the most to March since registrations began in 2014.

One of the most reported problems in the supply chain is hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which has seen an increase in demand among women in recent years.

New HRT supplies from other countries could soon be shipped to the UK to help alleviate the hardship of thousands of women.

Dr. Leyla Hannbeck, CEO of the Independent Multiple Pharmacies Association, told the Times that nearly 500,000 patients currently face barriers in obtaining the medicines they need for a wide variety of conditions.

Pharmacists are urging the government to cut bureaucracy, which means they can provide substitute medicines without having to refer patients to their doctor for a new prescription.

Insiders argue that rising raw material, energy and shipping costs are the driving force behind the current crisis.

But disruptions caused by the pandemic are exacerbating issues such as China’s recent return to tight city blockades, Brexit.

Dr. Hannbeck told the newspaper: “Famines affect the sick the most.

Where a stable drug needs modification, the process can often be complex and stressful for patients. For example, some cancer and blood pressure medications are difficult to change.

“Pharmacists across the country deal with these fees on a daily basis and this needs to be acknowledged.

“Also, disappointments” [of] The public often leads to verbal abuse. Violence against pharmacy teams should not be tolerated. The job is hard enough without having to endure harassment and threats.’

Desperate women were forced to split their prescriptions or resort to the black market due to the shortage of HRT drugs, particularly an erasable gel called Estrogel.

The British Menopause Society has provided physicians with guidelines on alternatives to brands of HRT that are unsatisfactory, but these changes cannot be ignored by pharmacists.