Medicine shortages have forced some patients to travel "across the country" or even go abroad to get prescription drugs, a health monitoring group has said.

In a report to councillors in Bury, the borough’s Healthwatch group highlighted the desperate measures some people have resorted to in order to get their hands on "difficult or impossible to get hold of" medication.

Bury Healthwatch said the problems in Greater Manchester were particularly acute for certain prescribed medicines used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other drugs used for hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

The report, covering the period from October to December 2023, will be presented to members of the council’s health scrutiny committee on Tuesday, March 5.

Describing "issues raised in Bury", the report, said: “We have heard of some people struggling to access certain prescription medicines.

“HRT medicines, ADHD prescriptions and several others have been reported as either difficult or impossible to get hold of.

“Neighbouring Healthwatch have reported some are resorting to going abroad to get prescriptions, or travelling hours across the country to pharmacies that have stock.”

Last month Community Pharmacy England, who represent pharmacies across the country said the reasons behind the medicine supply issues were being caused by a combination of factors.

They said Brexit, the ongoing war in Ukraine, the impact of the pandemic and broader economic instability were all playing a part in supply chain issues for medication.

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Chief executive of Community Pharmacy England, Janet Morrison said: “Pharmacy teams have been struggling to get hold of prescription medicines for many months but the problem is now worse than ever.

“It has become worryingly normal to see hundreds of medicines affected by pricing and other issues every month, with problems now a daily occurrence for pharmacies.

“The instability is putting operational pressures on pharmacy teams, financial pressures on businesses, and for patients it means worrying delays.

“Pharmacies are having to spend on average an extra 11 hours per week tracking down the medicines their patients need.

“Pharmacy teams are powerless to solve wider medicines supply issues and where they cannot find the medicines their patients need they often have to go back to GPs to amend prescriptions.

“This all causes worrying delays for patients, and in worst cases it can lead to a deterioration of their health.

“Last year we surveyed people working in pharmacies and 87 per cent told us that their patients’ health was being put a risk due to medicine supply issues.

“This is shocking, and government and the NHS must step in to resolve these issues.”

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In November, the NHS, after acknowledging a medicine shortage, issued advice that doctors should adjust clinical management plans for patients affected by the supply disruption of ADHD medicine.

The advice included "do not start new patients with medicines affected by the shortage".

The Bury Healthwatch report also noted "inconsistencies" in patients experiences getting prescriptions in the borough.

They said: “Numerous patients have shared their experiences of prescriptions and difficulties they have experienced.

“There also seems to be inconsistency across board of getting a prescription depending on which GP practice patient is registered with.

“Healthwatch Bury has started a project analysing patients’ feedback to look more into issues around prescriptions, provision and how they may affect inequalities.”