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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask why pharmacies are out of stock of almost everything?

54 replies

chefontheshelf · 01/01/2023 23:12

It's no secret the NHS is in shambles, but can anyone tell me why all of my local pharmacies seem to be in shambles as well? They never seem to have any stock. I feel like I'm living in some kind of war torn country that's unable to bring in aid to its citizens. What is going on? These photos were taken a week apart and in 2 different pharmacies, so plenty of time to have got stock in. They're still like this as of yesterday.

Is it like this nation wide? What's going on?

To ask why pharmacies are out of stock of almost everything?
To ask why pharmacies are out of stock of almost everything?
OP posts:
jetadore · 01/01/2023 23:14

Brexit

watchfulwishes · 01/01/2023 23:14

Brexit

Thatiswild · 01/01/2023 23:15

Like this here too, has been for months. Brexit, war, depends on where the particular meds are made and transported from.

Original poster
chefontheshelf · 01/01/2023 23:17

Fucking Brexit. I hope whoever thought it was a good idea and voted for it realised what a mistake they made. I saw today that apparently 2/3 of people polled would support a referendum to rejoin the EU.

Bitterness aside, is this the way it's always going to be now? Is this what we're left to deal with?

OP posts:
RudsyFarmer · 01/01/2023 23:21

Have you asked the shops why they have no stock? They might be able to tell you better than we can.

I haven’t noticed this locally but I know they struggle with fulfilling certain prescriptions and I assumed it was pandemic related.

oprahfan · 01/01/2023 23:24

Haven’t seen this where I live at all. I know there’s lots of coughs and colds, tonsillitis, chest infections and the like doing the rounds big time. Pharmacies I’ve been in seem normal, shelves in supermarkets the same. (Scotland)

GreenTeaPingPong · 01/01/2023 23:25

If you're interested in a detailed answer, read this. It's far more complex than just 'Brexit'. pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/feature/fixing-the-uks-medicines-shortage-crisis

LuluBlakey1 · 01/01/2023 23:26

I asked in some local pharmacies in November when I was trying to get FIL's prescription filled. They all said BREXIT- difficulty getting medicines and also the general stuff they sell- much of which is made in the EU. As ever the UK does not have a pharmaceutical industry that could support us. We have a narrow manufacturing base these days and that has been the case for decades now. We rely on imports in all areas.

KnickerlessParsons · 01/01/2023 23:28

We've asked, and the answer is always "global shortage", which isn't true because we can often get things in Boots that we can't get in Cohens: soluble paracetamol, ibuprofen solution, codeine solution, oramorph,

KnickerlessParsons · 01/01/2023 23:28

Anything with lidocaine in....

UWhatNow · 01/01/2023 23:28

GreenTeaPingPong · 01/01/2023 23:25

If you're interested in a detailed answer, read this. It's far more complex than just 'Brexit'. pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/feature/fixing-the-uks-medicines-shortage-crisis

Thanks for posting that. Very informative and unsettling. Indeed far more complex than just brexit.

mumda · 01/01/2023 23:35

Perhaps they have no staff on minimum wage to put stuff out on shelves?

Original poster
chefontheshelf · 01/01/2023 23:36

GreenTeaPingPong · 01/01/2023 23:25

If you're interested in a detailed answer, read this. It's far more complex than just 'Brexit'. pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/feature/fixing-the-uks-medicines-shortage-crisis

Thank you for this. Very insightful and worrying!

OP posts:
TheSnugglyDuckling · 01/01/2023 23:38

Well they’re having the same problem in the U.S. and I don’t remember them having “Brexit.”

CantFindTheBeat · 01/01/2023 23:41

chefontheshelf · 01/01/2023 23:17

Fucking Brexit. I hope whoever thought it was a good idea and voted for it realised what a mistake they made. I saw today that apparently 2/3 of people polled would support a referendum to rejoin the EU.

Bitterness aside, is this the way it's always going to be now? Is this what we're left to deal with?

You should blame Cameron and Johnson.

How fucking dare they have relinquished their roles and passed on the choice to people who had no idea of the complexities 🤬🤬🤬🤬

maddy68 · 01/01/2023 23:49

Supply issues post brexit.
Haven't you noticed shelves in supermarkets too?

Greenshake · 01/01/2023 23:51

It’s nothing like living in a war-torn country. That’s a distasteful exaggeration given whats going on in the world.

Forever42 · 01/01/2023 23:55

Brexit is a pile of shite and has affected medicine supply to the UK. However, on top of that a surge in respiratory illnesses has increased demand and caused shortages of amoxicillin in the US as well as the UK and is probably affecting other medications for those illnesses. I wanted to get some Benylin for my DC a few days ago and I got the last box in the pharmacy. The shelves of cold, cough and flu medicines were stripped bare.

AbsolutelyLoveTheEU · 05/01/2023 17:03

If only we were still in the EU we would be awash with medicines but no we are now third country status and must now live with our shelves getting bare during winter when coughs and colds are rife. What good is Lemsip in June? We need it now.

Cross over the channel and the shelves are groaning with medicines. Lemsip floor to ceiling.

The EU would have handed over medicines to us if we had stayed in the club to fill our shelves.

Tinkerbyebye · 05/01/2023 17:04

Not happening where I live. Everyone’s well stocked

KangarooKenny · 05/01/2023 17:06

I saw a guy with a basket full of cough medicine and medicine looking boxes yesterday, then I later read on line that people are stockpiling them.

RanhaThePiranha · 05/01/2023 17:06

KangarooKenny · 05/01/2023 17:06

I saw a guy with a basket full of cough medicine and medicine looking boxes yesterday, then I later read on line that people are stockpiling them.

You can only buy 2 items containing paracetamol etc at a time, so I'd like to see how he managed to purchase a basket full! Hope he was told to leave them!

Lifelessordinary1 · 05/01/2023 17:09

There are some global issues and the pandemic has not helped but Brexit has without a doubt made a bad situation worse.

GettingStuffed · 05/01/2023 17:11

Last week I was prescribed antibiotics they didn't hAve them in Tesco but they did in boots. I needed Lemsip the following day when my husband went to collect his prescription and not one packet was to be found. According to the paramedic who came out to then I had difficulty breathing we're the epicentre of the flu but that's going around

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