- The NHS could face drug shortages within weeks if the US and Iran fail to resolve their conflict, according to warnings from drug manufacturers.
- Medicines UK has indicated that paracetamol, antibiotics, stroke prevention medicines, and some cancer drugs, representing 85 per cent of NHS prescriptions, may be in short supply as early as June.
- The potential shortages are linked to Tehran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted the supply of petrochemical by-products crucial for manufacturing many common medicines.
- The Independent Pharmacies Association is urging the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to include medicine supply on the national risk register.
- The Department of Health and Social Care says that it has robust measures to manage disruption, and assures that the majority of the UK's licensed medicines are currently in good supply.
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