Key Facts

• People with epilepsy, heart conditions, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and other illnesses are finding it difficult to get their medicines in England.
• Pharmacies are paid a fixed price by the NHS for each medicine, but when market prices rise, pharmacies lose money.
• When drug prices increase, the government adds the medicine to a price concessions list to reimburse pharmacies at a higher cost, but sudden price jumps sometimes exceed these amounts.
• Pharmacy owners stock less medicine to reduce losses, which means patients often face shortages or delays.
• Since 2017, 1,500 pharmacies have closed in England; this year alone, 27 have shut, reaching a 20-year low in numbers.
• Global factors like higher energy and transport costs and expensive raw materials have pushed drug prices up.
• Some drug makers say prices in the UK are too low for them to keep supplying certain medicines, causing shortages.
• The Epilepsy Society has linked a lack of medication in the last two years to three deaths.