Urgent warning issued over availability of common medicines: Here are the affected products

Brits are being warned that several popular medicines are running low due to factory constraints in the countries where they are made. Some of the medicines affected include Calpol, Lemsip and Gaviscon with many high street pharmacies missing them from their shelves.

Despite the shortages, people are also being urged not to panic-buy or hoard the cold and flu medicines as it will just exacerbate the problem further.

Popular medicine shortages

Some of the most popular medicines in the UK are running low on stock and that includes products from Calpol, Lemsip and Gaviscon. A lot of the painkillers affected are those made for children such as liquid ibuprofen as well as Sterimar congestion relief nasal spray for babies.

Families have been warned that the shortages are due to factory constraints and issues with production of the raw ingredients used to make drugs in China and India.

At the same time, people are being urged not to panic buy. Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association for Independent Multiple Pharmacies, advised that pharmacies are doing everything they can, as per The Express:

Supplies of liquid paracetamol and ibuprofen, which are given to children to ease pain, are very low indeed.

Pharmacists are spending a lot of time trying to ensure we get drips of medicines coming through - at least one variant of each - so patients are not left completely high and dry.

Please don't hoard these medicines - there's no need to be concerned and pharmacists are doing everything they can to ease the situation.

Read more:

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

⋙ Popular cold and flu medicines urgently recalled over 'fatal' health condition in the UK

'Lack of planning' by ministers

The current shortages are not new; back in January there were also issues with the availability of common medicines. This was blamed on there being a higher number of cases of cold and flu than usual but also on a lack of planning by ministers according to pharmacy leaders. Dr Hannbeck commented, as per The Guardian:

Unfortunately part of that is a lack of planning by officials in terms of foreseeing the problems and trying to plan in advance to sort it.

For example, with cold and flu, we knew some months ago cases were going up and it was anticipated that there would be higher demand for these products.

The Government's Department of Health and Social Care is keen to reassure everyone that the shortages are just temporary and issued a statement on Sunday 26 March, as per The Express:

We know how distressing and frustrating medicine supply issues can be, but we want to assure people that we have well-established processes with an aim to prevent supply issues occurring in the first instance, and to manage or mitigate them when they occur.

We work with a wide range of organisations operating in the UK medicine supply chain to provide advice and help ensure that patients continue to have access to safe and effective treatments.

Read more:

⋙ Shortage of cold & flu medicines: Here are some proven home remedies to try

Sources used:

- The Express 'Urgent warning issued to Brits who buy Calpol, Lemsip and more as supplies are 'very low''

- The Guardian 'Shortage of cold medicines in UK is government’s fault, say pharmacists'

- The Express 'Parents warned not to 'hoard' Calpol, Lemsip and Gaviscon as shortages hit'