Anyone who needs some common medicines may be out of luck at the minute.
Pharmacists have issued a warning as certain over-the-counter medicines are out of stock. Brands including Calpol, Lemsip or Gaviscon are currently running low in stock across the country.
High street pharmacies and chemists are affected by the shortages, according to reports. Speaking to the Daily Mail Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association for Independent Multiple Pharmacies, said: "Supplies of liquid paracetamol and ibuprofen, which are given to children to ease pain, are very low indeed."
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She added: "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.
"It's not just children's painkillers that are affected – it's a range of other very common medicines including Sterimar congestion relief nasal spray for babies, Lemsip, Gaviscon, Optrex and [constipation treatment] Senokot.
"Shortages are due to "factory constraints" and "issues with production of the raw ingredients used to make common drugs in China and India." The expert continued: "Please don't hoard these medicines – there's no need to be concerned and pharmacists are doing everything they can to ease the situation."
Birmingham Live reported that the shortages come just months after the last warnings. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said in a statement today: "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."
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