Pharmacy staff in England are facing increasing abuse and aggression from patients, frustrated that a shortage of drugs means they can’t get their usual medicines, a study has found.
Hostility, including swearing and spitting, is coming as the availability of drugs becomes increasingly precarious as a result of Brexit, the Covid pandemic and ingredient supply problems. Hormone replacement therapy drugs are in short supply in many places, such as menopausal women.
Half of pharmacists and counter staff say unpredictability causes problems for customers who manage their health, according to a study by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiation Committee (PSNC), which represents public pharmacies in England.
Two-thirds of pharmacies say they deal with shortages every day, and another 21% face them several times a week.
The PSNC survey of 1,132 employees and 418 bosses of 5,000 pharmacies found:
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75% of pharmacies have seen patients become aggressive when they are told they cannot take the medication they are prescribed.
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49% of staff say that patient abuse undermines their mental well-being.
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51% believe that supply chain problems affect patients every day.
“It’s really alarming to hear that pharmacy staff are so routinely confronted with patient aggression,” said Janet Morrison, PSNC’s chief executive. “Pharmacists tell us anecdotally that this may include verbal insults, swearing, spitting and threats to report to regulators.
“Many public pharmacies have to deal with problems with the supply of medicines on a daily basis. This increases the pressure on existing pharmacy teams and can be a concern for patients if they have to wait longer for the drugs they need.
Patients have remained “frustrated and uncomfortable” with the drug shortage, she added.
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Supply problems can lead pharmacists to give patients only some of the medicines they owe and have to ask them to come back for the rest later, or ask GPs to prescribe another medicine to the patient, or call other vendors to see if they have stocks available.
The shortage is increasing pressure on pharmacies, which have played a key role in launching Covid vaccines but are now affected by staff illness and growing staff shortages.
Lack of staff is such a challenge that pharmacies are increasingly having to close temporarily, usually for several hours at a time, the PSNC found. This in turn burdens the nearby GP offices and NHS visiting centers with patients who cannot receive medical treatment at the pharmacy.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said: “There is zero tolerance for violence or abuse directed at healthcare professionals who have dedicated so much to protecting patients during a pandemic and deserve to work in a safe and secure environment free of attacks. or brake.
“The department has well-established procedures for dealing with drug shortages and works closely with the pharmaceutical industry and the NHS to minimize disruption in the few cases where it occurs.
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