BBCOne GP said he was spending the equivalent of three consultations a week searching for medicines that were out of stock or in short supply.
Dr Dan Lane, GP partner at Willingham-by-Stow Surgery in Lincolnshire, said the situation was “unprecedented”, with common medicines such as statins and insulin having become harder to obtain recently.
Pharmacists at the clinic said they had been yelled at by several frustrated patients because their prescriptions had not been filled.
The Department of Health and Social Care said the government had “inherited global supply challenges which continue to affect the availability of medicines” and was working with industry, the NHS and manufacturers.
Dr Lane, who has worked at the village practice near Gainsborough since 2015, said the current levels of staff shortages were “unprecedented” and “frustrating” for staff and patients.
“Time spent looking for alternatives for them is time that cannot be spent seeing other patients or continuing with your day-to-day work.
“On average, we spend 30 minutes a week on this. That means three patients are not being seen, so it’s a significant loss.”
He expressed concern about the risks to patients, particularly with regard to antipsychotics, epilepsy medication and insulin, “where patients could be put to great harm.”
“It may sound trivial, but even going from a 50-mg tablet to a 100-mg tablet of the same medication carries some risk, because if a patient is used to taking two tablets and you give them a 100-mg tablet, they’re going to continue taking two tablets. This is very easy to do.”
Clinic staff said they had been yelled at by frustrated and anxious patients who had not been able to receive their prescriptions.
Pharmacy technician Dennis Barton said two or three times a month, situations escalate to the point where patients are reported to clinic management.
“Patients sometimes think it’s our fault. They don’t seem to understand that we stand between the patient and the manufacturer and can’t solve the problem,” she said.
“They’re very upset, and I understand that because it’s their health issue, but if we don’t get it, then our hands are tied.”
“It puts pressure on us because it’s not good for the people who are being abused.”
Drug shortages have been a hot topic for the past three years. HRT supply For menopausal women, ADHD MedicationPediatric Liquid Antibiotics, Diabetes and Weight Loss Drugs Ozempic and Wegoviand more recently CleonIt is often taken by patients with pancreatic cancer.
Dr Lane said shortages could lead some patients to “stock up for themselves, and we could end up in a situation similar to toilet paper during COVID”.
Prices of scarce medicines would “skyrocket” and have an impact on the whole NHS budget, he added.
The Department of Health and Social Care said that while the majority of medicines are in sufficient supply, disruptions are not limited to the UK and are often outside the government’s control because medicines supply chains are complex, global and highly regulated.
A spokesman said: “We understand how frustrating and distressing medicines supply issues can be for patients, but staff have the right to work free from abuse and there is never any justification for intimidatory behaviour.”
“The Government has inherited global supply issues that continue to affect the availability of medicines and is working closely with industry, the NHS, manufacturers and other partners in the supply chain to resolve the current issues as quickly as possible.”
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