Cancer patients 'may starve' without vital drug

Bryony Thomas, who is from Stroud in Gloucestershire, needs creon after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Her cancer is now in remission, but she is still reliant on the drug for her digestive system to work correctly. She says there was no availability to get the medication within her county, and she had to get her mother-in-law to make a two-hour journey to a pharmacy in Crewe.

At one stage, she says she obtained the drug from another patient, who had a surplus, against regulations via Instagram. She describes her situation as "constantly stressful".

Leading pancreatic clinicians and charities including Pancreatic Cancer UK have written to the prime minister saying the absence of Pert can have a "devastating impact on people's lives", with doctors and pharmacists "inundated with requests for help from desparate patients".

The letter says that without the drug, people experience "horrendous bowel symptoms, poor diabetes control, malnutrition, and reduced absorption of other medications, all of which can have a massive impact on their health and quality of life".

There are other forms of Pert, but the charities and medical experts say while other countries have many brands available, in the UK creon "holds a very high market share". They say that with creon running short, switching by patients has depleted stocks of the alternatives. They are calling for a national process for importing Pert.

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust says the shortages have caused "significant worry and stress for those affected".

The charity has told patients that a "shortage of raw ingredients is straining the manufacturing process and disrupting global supply chains".

Production of creon is said to rely heavily on pancreatic enzymes sourced from pigs. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society meanwhile is calling on the government to adopt a national strategy to manage medicine shortages.

There have been wider problems with drug shortages. The National Pharmacy Association, representing community chemists in the UK, sought views on the issue.

Of the 500 which responded, all said they were unable to dispense a prescription at least once a day because of supply problems, and a large majority said patients came in at least once a day to get medicines they had failed to get elsewhere.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "We know how frustrating and distressing medicine supply issues can be for patients, and the pharmacists and clinicians caring for them.

"We've issued guidance to healthcare professionals and encourage anyone concerned to consult their clinician."