Pharmacists are reporting UK-wide shortages of antibiotics used to treat strep A, despite the health secretary insisting the government is “unaware” of a problem.
Demand for penicillin and amoxicillin has increased in recent days as the number of strep A cases among school children has increased. Independent pharmacies say they are unable to restock antibiotic stocks because wholesalers say there is no availability.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay told Times Radio on Wednesday that officials were “not aware of any shortages” and that drug makers were “required to notify us if there were supply issues and we have not notified”.
Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies chief executive Leyla Hannbeck said pharmacists across the country were reporting they were unable to stock many types of antibiotics and were dealing with angry customers who she said had been misled by the health secretary
“The government can say what they want, but we are on the front line and we know what’s going on,” he said. “I want to make the frustration among health professionals very clear because we don’t want to let our patients down, we have people coming in, parents, we just have to have better planning. Our hands are very much tied, the government must act now.”
He said he had received reports of patients visiting 12 pharmacies to try to find one of the antibiotics used to treat strep A.
Hannbeck said there was a wider systemic problem of shortages of common medicines, exemplified by the shortage of HRT earlier this year.
“We constantly find ourselves in situations like this where as soon as demand increases we can’t get the supply we need. It is now becoming the norm and it is very difficult for frontline health professionals to manage, especially when the government says there is supply; they should just say we’re looking at making sure the pharmacies get it.”
He said pharmacies had repeatedly asked the Department of Health and Social Care to bring wholesalers and manufacturers around the table to discuss how to prevent future shortages, but had been refused.
His understanding is that manufacturers are blaming raw material bottlenecks due to coronavirus lockdowns in East Asia for the shortage.
Dr Andrew Hill, a drug expert at the University of Liverpool, said amoxicillin was in short supply worldwide, with health authorities in France, Spain, the US, Canada and Australia reporting shortages of ‘offer, after “an increase in demand for this drug, given the recent waves of different infections, mainly in children”.
Strep A is a common infection in children and most cases are mild or asymptomatic, although it can cause scarlet fever, strep throat, and the bacteria can enter the bloodstream and lungs, causing sepsis.
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Antibiotic treatment is usually prescribed only in more severe cases due to concerns about antibiotic resistance. However, recent guidance has asked GPs to be particularly vigilant with strep A, which may mean they are more likely to prescribe antibiotics.
Barclay said that in areas where there had been a strong increase in demand, there were “well-established procedures in terms of the movement of stock between our wholesale depots”.
He said: “We have a dedicated team permanently in the department who do this day in and day out, and I’ve been reassured – I checked with them again last night, knowing it was going to the media this morning – and they said they’re not aware of any shortages, but sometimes you obviously get spikes in demand in a particular area and stocks have moved accordingly.”
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “Antibiotics are available to treat strep A and your GP will be able to prescribe the most appropriate treatment.
“Streptococcus A usually causes a mild infection that produces a sore throat or scarlet fever that can be easily treated with antibiotics. However, it is important for parents to watch for symptoms and see a doctor as soon as possible so that their child can be treated
“Be sure to talk to a health professional if your child shows signs of deterioration after a bout of scarlet fever, a sore throat, or a respiratory infection.”