Warning over lack of antibiotics to treat Strep A in Scotland as infections soar

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Health chiefs have warned of antibiotic shortages across Scotland because of soaring Strep A infections nationwide. As the death toll in the UK from Strep A reached 16 yesterday, GPs were warned them to expect drug shortages to last for the rest of the year.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf insisted yesterday that there were no supply issues for antibiotics. But Labour claimed that a message sent to GPs showed there was an “alarming” lack of drugs available to treat Strep A infections.

An email issued yesterday from a Scottish NHS official to GPs, locums and pharmacy managers in Scotland stated: “An increase in Strep A cases has led to a surge in demand for oral penicillin V and amoxicillin (liquid presentations are particularly affected). “The Department of Health medicines supply team is takingthe lead at UK level on liaising with manufacturers and distributors and we are expecting them to shortly issue a medicines supply alert.”The email went on to say that “surges in purchasing have led to temporary stock-outs of some of the lines at wholesale level and there is variation in stockholding at pharmacy levels”.Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “These reports of antibiotic shortages are alarming.

Our NHS is already facing unprecedented pressure this winter, so we cannot afford to be ill-prepared.“The Health Secretary cannot keep dismissing these concerns – we urgently need honesty about what is going on.”Health Secretary Humza Yousaf denied there were antibiotic shortages yesterday, saying: “There’s no shortage of supply."I’ve spoken to the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer and had guarantees around the stock and supply, so we’ll keep a close eye on it, but there’s no supply issues on antibiotics.”UK Health