Pharmacists in the UK and US are warning of shortages of cold and flu medicines, with an early winter season surge in respiratory infections leaving manufacturers struggling to keep up with demand.
Some pharmacies are finding it hard to order over-the-counter drugs such as cough syrups and painkillers, restricting what customers can purchase, while some wholesalers are rationing the available medicines.
Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the UK’s Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies, said shortages — combined with other frustrations such as not being able to get hold of a GP family doctor — meant pharmacists on the frontline were dealing with a rise in abuse and violence from patients.