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Medicine shortages “have never been so chronic and severe”, senior health leaders have warned, and the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has said they posed a “serious risk to patient safety”, while the Royal College of GPs has also raised concerns about the impact medicine shortages have on patients, GPs and pharmacists.

The warnings come as new data show that some UK serious shortage protocols (SSPs) have been in place for so long they have broken all previous NHS records. An SSP has been in place for Creon since May 2024, and since December 2024 for Estradot, and both SSPs have been extended to 10 July.

Pharmacists and GPs were under “unprecedented workload pressure”, the NPA said, and “spend significant time managing a growing number of medicine shortages”, with pharmacists spending “hours sourcing scarce medication”, while GPs have to alter prescriptions to fit in with supply issues, causing patients inconvenience and worry.

NPA chair, Olivier Picard, said: "This data confirms what pharmacists and GPs have been experiencing for many months; medicine shortages are becoming more frequent, lasting longer and causing increasing disruption for patients.

"Pharmacies spend significant time hunting stock and liaising with GP teams when they should be getting on with caring for their patients. We’re urging the government to convene an emergency taskforce to bring together all parts of the supply chain to tackle this issue.

“As well as this, the government should amend legislation that prevents pharmacies from making simple substitutions to a prescription, where are a safe alternative is in stock."

Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, president of the Royal College of GPs, said: "With appropriate safeguards in place, the College is supportive of pharmacists being able to make limited changes to prescriptions when a medicine is unavailable and a safe, clinically appropriate alternative is available within agreed prescribing guidance. 

“We would also support systems that enable timely communication between pharmacists and GP practices when shortages arise, without creating unnecessary administrative burden.

"The most important thing is that patients are able to access the medication they need safely and without delay. More widely, it's essential that when shortages occur, the underlying causes are quickly identified and resolved." 

A new survey by the NPA has found that:

• 98% of pharmacies encountered patients who had visited several pharmacies in a day to source a prescription in the last year
• 96% of pharmacies felt the current situation posed a serious risk to the safety of their patients
• 83% of pharmacy teams faced abuse or anger from patients due to a prescribed medicine being unavailable, with one pharmacy reporting to the NPA they had to call the police to remove an abusive patient who had their medication delayed due to supply challenges
• 89% of pharmacies were unable to dispense a medicine at least once a day last year due to supply issues.