Jersey seeing shortage of some medicines

Jersey faces some shortages in prescription and over-the-counter treatments

Pharmacists in Jersey say the island is being affected by a shortage of some medicines, including antibiotics used to treat strep A infections.

It comes as health staff in the UK have warned they are running out of supplies of penicillin, following a rise in demand.

However, Simon Wall, local ambassador for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said residents should not worry as other medicines were available for many conditions.

He said: "There are shortages with some antibiotics, with some painkillers and over-the-counter medicines for coughs and colds in short supply as well.

"But there will be alternatives, so we we shouldn't need to panic too much."

Acting chief pharmacist, Deborah O’Driscoll, said Jersey was "subject to the same supply problems faced by the UK", but that "we have sufficient supplies of antibiotics".

She added that contingency plans meant "we have more than a week’s worth of stock in the pharmacy at any one time to mitigate against any disruption".

"We also have agreements with medicine suppliers who can arrange for drugs to be flown into the island if the ferries are disrupted for long periods due to bad weather," she said.

Many strep A infections are mild - causing a sore throat or skin infection - but occasionally a very serious infection with invasive group A strep (iGAS) can develop.

Doctors can prescribe penicillin antibiotics at home to help treat mild infections, but severe cases need to be treated in hospital.