Dr Michelle O'Driscoll: What to do when there is a shortage of your medication

YOU go to your pharmacy after seeing your doctor to renew your prescription, and want to order your regular medication.

Or perhaps you go to your pharmacy after seeing your doctor to start a new medication, excited to now have a plan of action.

Either way, your journey to the pharmacy is with the expectation that obtaining that medicine won’t be a problem - you’ve been prescribed it, surely that’s all there is to it?

Not always so, unfortunately, especially at the moment.

It’s always been the case that medications can go into short supply, I recall a popular baby product suddenly coming off the market because apparently its factory had gone up in flames!

These things happen occasionally, but currently there seems to be an increase in this problem of medicine shortages. In particular for women, the availability of HRT or Hormonal Replacement Therapy can be quite problematic, depending what product you’re using.

And there’s nothing more frustrating than finding something that works, alleviates symptoms and gets you back on an even keel in terms of how you’re feeling, only to then be told that it’s not currently available.

This issue is usually down to the supply chain and an issue more upstream, and pretty much out of the pharmacy’s control.

That doesn’t mean that they won’t go to every effort to either source the product elsewhere though, or to contact the prescriber and agree an appropriate course of action.

This might mean, for example, adjusting the dose, or how you take the product, e.g. halving a tablet, or cutting a patch, or sometimes, switching products completely and hoping for a similarly effective outcome.

Much of this issue is out of your control, but here are some things that you can either do or avoid if you find that your medication is in short supply.

Do order well in advance

By giving the pharmacy the heads up that you’ll be needing you prescription next week rather than in the next hour, you’re giving yourself the best possible chance of them sourcing what you need in advance.

This will help to minimise any stress on both sides, and hopefully keep your treatment stable.

Don’t order online

It can be tempting if your pharmacy says that they can’t source your medicine to then google and find it online from somewhere unregulated.

You don’t know the quality of content of those medicines, which could potentially lead to serious side effects. Don’t take that chance!

Speak with your doctor or pharmacist about what the best next steps would be.

Do have patience with the pharmacy team

You can be sure that this is just as frustrating for them, as they want to provide the very best treatment for you.

Give them your contact details and request that they contact you with updates. This gives them time and space to follow up without the immediate pressure of a patient waiting around for answers.

Don’t stockpile

Unfortunately, when products go short, there can be a rush to buy it in bulk, just like the toilet paper situation during Covid! This only exacerbates the problem, however!

Most pharmacies will prevent stockpiling by capping how much of a product is supplied to the patient.

Having enough for the coming month is usually as much as will be provided when a product is in short supply, to ensure adequate supply for all.

Do adjust treatment safely

It’s not always the case that it’s safe or appropriate to half a tablet for example, as some tablets have a protective coating on the surface to prevent breakdown of the drug too quickly. So don’t go ahead altering your treatment without the appropriate advice from your pharmacist.

They’ll be able to guide you as to exactly what can be done in your unique situation where a treatment isn’t available.

Medication shortages are irritating and disruptive, both for patients and their healthcare providers.

If its affecting you, have open conversations with your pharmacist and doctor, and get a plan in place.

Hopefully, it will be a temporary issue, and will be well resolved by the next time you need your prescription.

About the author 

 Dr Michelle O’Driscoll is a pharmacist, re searcher and founder of InTuition, a health and wellness education company. Her research lies in the area of mental health education, and through InTuition she delivers health promotion workshops to corporate and academic organi sations nationally. See intuition.ie