Health officials claim that some patients are even forced to “ration” their medications, and a recent survey indicates that shortages affect many pharmacies in England on a “daily occurrence” basis.
This year’s affected treatments include those for diabetes and epilepsy, according to the trade association Community Pharmacy England.
It discovered that shortages are “wreaking havoc” on patients after surveying 2,000 employees and more than 6,000 pharmacies.
Staff members reported that 97% of them thought patients were being inconvenienced and 79% thought there was a risk to their health.
Additionally, 98% of respondents claimed to be sending out more “I owe yous”—where they are only able to fulfill a portion of the precription.