NHS suffers from painkillers, steroids and anti-depressants shortages as drug supply problems worsen

An industry association has warned the NHS is facing a shortage of blood pressure pills, pain relievers and antidepressants as drug manufacturers face shortages of supply.

Companies that supply commonly used drugs are allegedly facing “unprecedented pressure” from their supply chains and bureaucracy.

Manufacturers of dozens of the most widely used drugs in the UK are battling a ‘perfect storm’ of rising raw material costs and delays of up to 18 months to get approval from the drug regulator.

According to Newspaper I, some antidepressants, blood pressure tablets, steroids and pills used to relieve arthritis pain may be affected.

Mark Samuels, Chief Executive Officer of the British Generic Manufacturers Association, said there is a “real risk” that the NHS and pharmacies will face more shortages in the coming months, similar to the current HRT crisis.

“Generics have been underestimated,” Samuels said.

“It’s a complex industry and it’s under unprecedented pressure, and that presents a real risk of shortages right now.”

The UK regulator – the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority – said it routinely accelerates approval processes when there is a product shortage.

Mark Samuels, Chief Executive Officer of the British Generic Manufacturers Association, said there is a “real risk” that the NHS and pharmacies will face more shortages in the coming months, similar to the current HRT crisis (stock image)

The figures show that there are around 50 generics supplied to the NHS in a certain size or strength and listed with delivery issues – a 25% increase over the past month.

Of these, 44 have no equivalent alternative.

A source from one of the largest generic manufacturers in the UK said there are “very small margins” where a drug may or may not be manufactured.

Separate data from the Pharmaceutical Services Consulting Committee, which represents 11,000 NHS pharmacy contractors, showed that as of March, 67 drugs were listed as drugs for which the government was prepared to pay a higher price due to issues such as supply difficulties.

The Independent Multiple Pharmacies Association, another industry association, said that the number of patients who have problems taking medication should be at least 500,000.