‘Extremely difficult to source’: The hidden health crisis gripping Australian pharmacies
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Medication shortages are not uncommon, but when they begin to affect essential treatments, the stakes rise dramatically.
Behind the scenes, pharmacists and patients alike are battling an escalating crisis that few saw coming.
What’s emerging is a troubling picture of reliance, scarcity, and difficult choices within Australia’s healthcare system.
Australia has been facing an alarming shortage of essential prescription medications, leaving patients struggling to access life-saving treatments.
A University of South Australia study highlighted that Australian pharmacists are heavily reliant on unpredictable global supply chains for vital medicines.
Out of 142 pharmacists surveyed, 90 per cent reported having to source alternative suppliers for medications every week.
The same proportion admitted to frequently substituting less effective medicines due to the unavailability of the required treatments.
Matthew Gillespie from the Pharmacy Guild shared ‘There have been particular groups of medicine that have been in very short supply and extremely difficult to source.’
Adelaide pharmacist Theo Skrembos revealed that the shortages had impacted medications for diabetes, cholesterol, and even antibiotics.
Hormone replacement therapies were also affected by the supply crisis.
Australia sources 90 per cent of its medication from overseas, making supply issues difficult to predict.
One 24-year-old Australian, Harrison Cal, shared the struggles of obtaining his essential insulin medications for type-1 diabetes.
‘I have to call 8 to 10 pharmacists, and they won’t even stock Levimere or sometimes even Novorapid they do not have,’ Mr Cal said.
He explained that this relentless search had been ongoing for months to secure the long-acting insulin he requires twice daily.
Mr Skrembos noted that these shortages often come with increased costs, which are ultimately passed on to patients.
‘That comes with an increased cost, which you have to pass on to your patient then, which during a cost of living crisis, is a little bit unreasonable,’ he said.
The federal government stated that while the shortages were unavoidable, efforts were underway to boost domestic production of medications.
Have you or someone you know been affected by the lack of essential medicines? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments.
Behind the scenes, pharmacists and patients alike are battling an escalating crisis that few saw coming.
What’s emerging is a troubling picture of reliance, scarcity, and difficult choices within Australia’s healthcare system.
Australia has been facing an alarming shortage of essential prescription medications, leaving patients struggling to access life-saving treatments.
A University of South Australia study highlighted that Australian pharmacists are heavily reliant on unpredictable global supply chains for vital medicines.
Out of 142 pharmacists surveyed, 90 per cent reported having to source alternative suppliers for medications every week.
The same proportion admitted to frequently substituting less effective medicines due to the unavailability of the required treatments.
Matthew Gillespie from the Pharmacy Guild shared ‘There have been particular groups of medicine that have been in very short supply and extremely difficult to source.’
Adelaide pharmacist Theo Skrembos revealed that the shortages had impacted medications for diabetes, cholesterol, and even antibiotics.
Hormone replacement therapies were also affected by the supply crisis.
Australia sources 90 per cent of its medication from overseas, making supply issues difficult to predict.
One 24-year-old Australian, Harrison Cal, shared the struggles of obtaining his essential insulin medications for type-1 diabetes.
‘I have to call 8 to 10 pharmacists, and they won’t even stock Levimere or sometimes even Novorapid they do not have,’ Mr Cal said.
He explained that this relentless search had been ongoing for months to secure the long-acting insulin he requires twice daily.
Mr Skrembos noted that these shortages often come with increased costs, which are ultimately passed on to patients.
‘That comes with an increased cost, which you have to pass on to your patient then, which during a cost of living crisis, is a little bit unreasonable,’ he said.
The federal government stated that while the shortages were unavoidable, efforts were underway to boost domestic production of medications.
Have you or someone you know been affected by the lack of essential medicines? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments.
