Birmingham pharmacy warns of medicines shortage

Owner Vivek Dipak Shah said he hoped the situation would improve

A Birmingham pharmacy says it is one of a number across the country struggling to obtain many common medicines.

This has left pharmacists paying over the odds for common drugs and there are 80 medicines in such short supply the Department of Health has agreed to pay a premium for them.

Shah Pharmacy, in Sparkhill, said it thought a lot of the issues were "around Brexit".

But the government said it was not to do with the UK's EU exit preparations.

The pharmacy is finding widely-used painkillers, blood pressure drugs and some antibiotics harder to obtain

Patients have complained of delays in getting hold of drugs and the figure of 80 medicines is up from 45 in October.

The family-run chemists shop is finding widely-used painkillers, blood pressure drugs and some antibiotics harder to obtain.

Increasing global demand and rising costs are to blame, it is believed, and wholesalers have not been able to get hold of some drugs from manufacturers.

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Pharmacy owner Vivek Dipak Shah said: "I hope the situation will improve sort of post March, but it really remains to be seen.

"From a pharmacy's point of view, we can only do so much."

Pranav Gupta, from the pharmacy, said: "In the past we could have checked on the system when it's going to come in.

"But... now we don't have a clue. If we ring the wholesalers, they don't have a clue."

Darshna Parmar has struggled to find the prescription painkillers she needs

Darshna Parmar, who suffers from chronic back pain and has a 10-week-old baby, has struggled for two months to find the prescription painkillers she needs.

She said: "Having to go back and forth from the surgery to the pharmacy trying to get the prescription, trying to look for alternative drugs, going to different pharmacies to try and source the medication... it's been difficult."

The government has asked people not to stockpile medications.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society said there was "a massive shortage and price spikes".