Paracetamol Shortage?

[LauraKsWhiteCoat]

I've been slowly stocking up on essentials for the past few months to cushion my family against a no deal Brexit, and one of my staples is cheap paracetamol. Given that the supermarkets will only allow you to buy two packets at a time for safety reasons, I try to buy some whenever I shop.

Recently the cheapest packets of 16 tablets have gone from 29p to 45p a packet. Last week, my local Tesco had barely any left. The shelf was empty but for a couple of packets of the more expensive brands.

I also noticed that they were out of things like own brand Immodium and Rehydration sachets, which I wanted to take on holiday. It's possible this is just due to high demand from summer holidaymakers, but it did worry me.

Has anyone else noticed a shortage of cheap Paracetamol or other medicines? I'm starting to feel a bit concerned.

[YesQueen]

@tribpot I would love to see someone manage cauda equina with no pain relief. I had the bottle of oral morphine off the chemist and down my neck in about 5 seconds flat. P.s it still didn't work

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

For those with chronic pain conditions, I think it is still the case that we can buy 3 packs of 32 paracetamol from the pharmacist over the counter. When my health condition flares I've chosen to do that, though my gp is happy to prescribe them for me. But their bigger boxes cost more than the packs of 16.

[Jax62plus]

Mitch117, I buy them when I see them, because I have arthiritis and sciatica, which cause me pain on a daily basis. Some nights, I can't get comfortable enough to sleep, unless I have paracetomol. I don't 'stockpile', I buy 3 packs a week at the most, but if they are in short supply in shops, I will pick up a pack when I see them. I think you should read more articles about the shortages, before having a rant at people for buying them for a reason. As some people have pointed out here, better to buy than get the doctor to prescribe them, and draining the much needed NHS service!

[AllTheGrrrrsAreTaken]

Ibuprofen and Paracetamol were fine but Aspirin seems to be out everywhere. Maybe a regional preference.

[FurryPeanut]

Well, when you have to take painkillers just to be able to wipe your arse and clean your teeth due to hand arthritis, maybe the healthy would not be so judgemental of us pillpoppers!

[Bean44]

Apparently there's been a massive recall in certain brands of paracetamol, it's on the government website something to do with a fungus in some of them.

[Socksontheradiator]

I just looked - that was in June wasn't it? Has there been another one?

[Neaoll]

I think the rules on how much you can buy should be removed. You could save on packaging by allowing people to buy in bulk.

It's easy to walk on a high street and get that amount anyway from several places.

[PollyPelargonium52]

It was saying on radio 4 yesterday that there is a shortgage of painkillers in the country although I cannot remember the reason. It was nothing to do with Brexit.

[LarkDescending]

It is indirectly to do with Brexit, in that the fall in the £ since the referendum has made it economically attractive for manufacturers to export as much as possible rather than earn £ revenue. This also goes for wholesalers who have been re-exporting imported pharmaceuticals to the Eurozone, leaving shortages of stocks for sale here. HRT has been most severely affected, but it is at the top of a long list which includes analgesics such as paracetamol.

In response to this problem the government announced a targeted export ban yesterday: //www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-49907056

[LarkDescending]

The export ban list focuses on HRT, contraceptives and a few other items, not analgesics - which are not as badly affected by supply issues.

[BlackeyedGruesome]

There were plenty of packs in savers, Wilkos and home bargains.

[Clavinova]

Targeted export ban introduced in Belgium in April;

Belgium - Medicine Shortages - New Developments

www.vbb.com/insights/corporate-commercial-regulatory/belgium-medicine-shortages-new-developments