Nearly 400,000 used urgent care or went to a GP as their usual pharmacy could not fill their NHS prescription in December

EMBARGO: 22.30 Wednesday 19th February

An estimated 382,000 adults between 10th December and the 1st January visited their GP or an urgent care service due to their usual pharmacy being unable to fill their NHS prescription, Liberal Democrat analysis of the ONS’s Health Insight Survey has revealed.

Alongside the estimated near 400,000 who sought their prescription through urgent care or a GP a further 269,000 did not take any further action after being unable to get a prescription dispensed at their usual pharmacy in that December period. 

In total, an estimated 3 million people (13.5%) reported having an issue when using prescription services over the period. 426,000 people had to end up trying multiple pharmacies to get their prescription with 336,000, more than one in ten people who had an issue, waiting more than a week to resolve their problem in getting a prescription. 

An estimated 853,000 people were left dissatisfied with the most recent NHS service they had received at a pharmacy between the 10th December and 1st January.

Medicines purchasing costs are one of the biggest drivers for cost increases for pharmacies, many of which are already struggling to keep the doors open. According to analysis by the National Pharmacy Association, 87% of council areas have seen one or more pharmacies close in their area in just the last two years.

Last year it was reported that there were major issues with the supply of ADHD medication. The shortages lead to some students rationing their medication in the lead up to their exams to ensure that their prescription lasted across the exam season leaving them “terrified”. ADHD charities said that “huge swathes of revision time” were lost as a result.

The Liberal Democrats have said the situation across the health service is “devastating” and called on the government to take steps to ensure that patients can access prescriptions when they need them and to protect pharmacies from closure. 

Liberal Democrat Hospitals and Primary Care spokesperson, Jess Brown-Fuller MP said:

“Everywhere you turn our frontline health services are at a breaking point with devastating consequences for patients. 

“We have heard from countless people who are struggling to access their prescriptions when they need them with many turning to A&E or their GP or even going without the medicine they need to get through their daily lives. All this piles pressure on our hospitals and primary care services that are already at the brink.

“The Conservative Party’s shameful neglect has punished patients in this way but the Labour government’s total lack of urgency has been inexcusable. It is not good enough for the government to sit back and watch as people can't access the medicines they need.

“The government must take steps to ensure that patients can access the medication they desperately need and struggling pharmacies can keep their doors open.” 

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The analysis by the Liberal Democrats can be found here.

The ONS’s Health Insight Survey can be found here. Tabs 34, 35a, and 36 used for pharmacy survey figures.

Reporting on the ADHD medication shortage can be found here.

National Pharmacy Association analysis can be found here.