'I have to travel two hours and visit 10 pharmacies just to get the drugs that keep me alive'

'I have to travel two hours and visit 10 pharmacies just to get the drugs that keep me alive' Medication shortages are causing alarm for pharmacists, and their patients - the Mirror speak to two people who are completely reliant on their medications about the dangers of shortages A mum forced to travel two hours to get her epilepsy medication has warned that Britain's ongoing drug shortage crisis could soon turn fatal. Drug shortages in the UK have reached some of the "most severe" levels in recent history, with one pharmacist warning that the supply chain for certain critical medications resembles that of a developing nation. Everyday medications, including painkillers, blood pressure tablets, and antibiotics are becoming increasingly hard to source. The shortages are also hitting patients with long-term health conditions like cystic fibrosis, ADHD, diabetes and epilepsy the hardest. For these individuals, going without their medication isn't just an inconvenience; it can be a death sentence. "For the last four to six months I've been facing issues with getting my medication again," explains Charlotte Nero, a 39-year-old mother of two from London. Charlotte lives with focal and tonic clonic seizures, formerly known as grand mal seizures. Because of her condition, and full-time care responsibilities for her two autistic children, aged 4 and 16, she is unable to work or drive. She was diagnosed aged 10 and suffered her first tonic-clonic seizure, aged 15, two days after falling and fracturing her skull. Currently she relies on four distinct medications: Levetiracetam, Lamotrigine, Clobazam, and a rescue medication, Midazolam. In recent months, the supply has become so unstable that she has been downgraded to a weaker child's dose of her rescue medication and forced to ration her other pills. "That's the reality, it can very much be life threatening," explains Charlotte. "It's not an exaggeration when I say that to you. If there's no medication, how's the seizure going to stop? Especially if they're tonic-clonics [formerly known as grand mal seizures]. Falling down and having a tonic clonic seizure can be bad enough, it can be a killer, it's happened to people before. Not so much because of the fit, because of the injury they sustained having the fit. No medication? You'd be lucky if you're alive." Because she cannot drive, Charlotte has had to take her physical prescription and travel out of North London, sometimes visiting up to 10 different pharmacies. When she has to switch between brands, the subtle differences in chemical compositions triggers severe side effects, including "horrendous" headaches. "More headaches can contribute to seizures, because you're not sleeping properly," Charlotte says, "And that's it you're gone. It's not an exaggeration, it's a fact. You just have to have a few seizures and they don't stop and actually you don't wake up." The psychological toll is equally dangerous. For many epilepsy sufferers, intense stress can be a trigger for seizures. "I take mine twice a day," Charlotte says, "and there's been times where I've had to just do it once a day and hope for the best. But I have two autistic children, and their needs are very demanding." Describing her current situation, she said: "I have to be a bit more careful with myself because I haven't been able to take my medication because of the issue at the moment," she explains. On some occasions, she's been forced to call call her mum to come round and help out in case she becomes unwell. The shortages are partly caused by the conflict in the Middle East, with the long-term closure of the Strait of Hormuz forcing shipping delays and gloab transport prices surging. Under current NHS rules, pharmacies are reimbursed at a fixed price by the government. However, skyrocketing costs means there are 210 essential medications that cost more for the pharmacies to buy than the government is willing to reimburse. For patients like Emma Griffith, 37, from Hertfordshire, the prospect of facing the shortages is terrifying. Though she has been seizure-free for nine years, using Zonisamide and Mirtazapine, she remembers the experience of one vividly. Emma suffered her first tonic-clonic seizure aged 18 while on holiday in Australia, after suffering seizures on and off from eight months old. She remembers biting through her own tongue and her dad's hand, and being left in completely 'agony' from the convulsions. "It's like giving your body a workout because you ripped tendons and soft tissues that you don't tend to use on a day-to-day basis," Emma explains. "It was just agony." Through her volunteer work with the Epilepsy Society, she knows about the impact of the supply crisis every day. The prospect is a terrifying one, leaving her "incredibly anxious." Pharmacists are worried too, with officials calling on the government to increase its spending on these vital medications. Ashley Cohen, a National Pharmacy Association Board Member, with 35 years experience, is deeply worried. "I have never known such a chronic medicine shortage as at the moment. This is now not an inconvenience and a frustration, it's a patient safety issue. With certain medicines and disease areas, such as epilepsy, the significance of somebody not getting their medicine may mean they have a seizure, they could be hospitalised or worst case scenario patients have died. I am aware of some instances where shortages have caused significant patient issues." Olivier Picard, Chair of the National Pharmacy Association, agrees: "These shortages are some of the most severe the UK has experienced. Our medicines market has never been so volatile". In response to the outcry, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care, said: "The overwhelming majority of medicines licensed in the UK are in good supply and patients should know that when visiting the pharmacy, their prescriptions will be available. "Ensuring there is robust supply of medicines is vital and this government is making significant investments in the UK medicine manufacturing industry to strengthen it."