Cold and flu medicine shortage causes alarm in the UK, here's what we know

Reports suggest pharmacies across the UK are experiencing empty shelves due to a shortage of medicines which treat Covid-19, the cold and the flu.

Sounding the alarm

According to the Evening Standard, the shortage is caused by a huge demand for do-it-yourself treatments for winter illnesses.

Experts believe that the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic have created a break in respiratory viruses and a loss of immunity among people.

Now the return to normalcy and people mixing indoors during the Christmas season has led to a rapid rise in cold and flu across the UK.

With the demand for medicines rising sharply, pharmacists across the country are warning of severe shortages.

Some of the most requested medicines which have gone low in stock include Lemsip, Night Nurse, and other cold and flu remedies.

The crisis in medicines is also becoming more difficult because people are unable to see their general practitioner (GP), thus also spiking demand for over-the-counter medicines.

A steady increase in cold and flu cases

In August of 2022, Bloomberg reported pharmacists in the UK sounding the alarm about a similar shortage of medicines.

The report presented a poll of 1,562 UK pharmacists for the Pharmaceutical Journal which found that more than half of respondents (54%) believed patients had been put at risk in the last six months due to shortages.

Nevertheless, over the past months, the cases of cold and flu have steadily increased. The Evening Standard reports that during the peak Christmas season included 3,746 people a day were hospitalised with serious cases.

Dr Leyla Hannbeck, the head of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies, is describing the situation at the moment as a widespread nightmare:

Pharmacists can’t get hold of some of the most common cold and flu medicines and are sending me pictures of how empty shelves are.

Hannbeck also reasons the great demand for drugs is because people are taking matters into their own hands:

People cannot get GP appointments and are told to look after themselves not to put pressure on the NHS. With cases of cold and flu being higher this season, this has led to many people buying over-the-counter medicines and has led to higher demand.

Sources used:

-EveningStandard: ‘Pharmacists warn of major shortages of cold and flu medicines across the UK’

-Bloomberg: ‘Pharmacists Sound Alarm Over UK Medicine Shortages’