The 100-Year Life Health Education and Government
The number of drugs listed on the UK’s medicine shortage list has doubled since January 2022, according to the British Generic Manufacturers Association. At its peak last October, there were more than 100 medications on the list that are used to treat conditions including epilepsy, cancer, type 2 diabetes and schizophrenia. The chief executive of Community Pharmacy England told the Guardian it had become “worryingly normal” to see hundreds of medicines affected by pricing and other supply chain issues. What’s changed? For one, Brexit. Since 2016, sterling’s fall in value has put pressure on NHS purchasing systems, as well as causing a drop off in medical imports due to changing supply chains. In other instances, an increase in demand for ADHD medication, hormone replacement therapy to treat menopause symptoms and GLP-1 inhibitors being used for weight-loss rather than for diabetes has led to patients in the UK being unable to obtain drugs they have been prescribed.