The Eico Pharmacy

A STARK warning has been displayed in the window of a pharmacy drawing attention to what staff say is a deepening medicines crisis affecting patients and pharmacies.

Eico Pharmacy, in Highgate Road said that medications such as statins, taken to reduce the risks of heart attacks and strokes and some epilepsy medication were in short supply.

They said this was driven by a mix of supply chain disruptions, reliance on overseas manufacturing since Brexit, pricing disputes with manufacturers and delays in reimbursement from the NHS leaving pharmacies under “unsustainable pressure.”

Viksash Shah, who has been a pharmacist at the Highgate Road chemist for 15 years said: “We know there is a medicine shortage, it has happened before. The good thing is we are close to the GP and if there are any changes, out of stock or shortages we always tell them the alternatives which they can prescribe for one month just to keep the patients going. But again – that all takes time and the patients get worried.”

The poster in the window of the pharmacy a few doors down from Parliament Hill Medical Centre said the UK has been abandoned by manufacturers and that the “supply chain is broken,” but that this was not a pharmacy failure – but a government funding crisis.

It added that seven pharmacies are closing every month in the UK, and that the NHS “expects your pharmacy to source and supply your medicine while we lose money on almost every item.”

Mr Shah told the New Journal: “Since Brexit happened, now all of a sudden some medications cannot be manufactured here so when they are coming from abroad sometimes there are problems.

“For months there may be high medication prices – and it’s only if all the pharmacies do report about high prices then the committee will inform the NHS and then the NHS will look to reimburse you after one month, but by that time you’ve lost money as we have already paid for it out of our own funds.

“The majority of pharmacies are now providing services, to make money where we can. But obviously you need enough staff and enough time for that and if you don’t have that it is hard to provide services.”

Eico Pharmacy is owned by Kalpen Patel, who also owns a pharmacy in Swains Lane. Mr Shah said the pharmacy’s medicine supply should return to normal in the coming months but added: “This could keep happening in a repeated cycle and then things will get worse for the pharmacy.”

Recently the Department of Health said there were currently no shortages as a result of conflict in the Middle East, adding “We are working closely with industry partners to help ensure the continued supply of medical products, and we actively monitor emerging threats to supply resilience.”