‘People could die’ warns charity as UK faces shortage of mystery cancer drug

A great OBSERVATION of a A digestive aid drug could kill people, a charity has warned.

Neil Pearce, of the PLANETS charity, has written to the Government expressing “deep concern” about the lack of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT).

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Patients who are dependent on the medication may experience severe diarrhea, weight loss, and malnutrition without it.

Paul Elcombe, 62, who takes PERT three times a day to survive told the Sun he has reduced his meals to just one a day to make his remaining drugs last.

“Without this medicine, I will not eat, I will be wasted and end up dead,” he said.

This drug is given to people like Paul who lack the enzymes to break down food into the nutrients the body needs to survive.

This can be caused by a number of conditions, including pancreatic cancer, pancreatic surgery, cystic fibrosis, chronic pancreatitis and neuroendocrine tumors.

Clear PLANETS helps patients with pancreatic, liver, colorectal, stomach and neuroendocrine cancer.

It is estimated that around 20,000 people in the UK are affected by PERT deficiency.

The treatment is usually called Creon, which is the name of a type of drug that is commonly used.

Neil, a former pancreatic cancer surgeon, warned that unless short-term solutions were implemented, the issue could lead to “excessive and preventable deaths” from sepsis and complications of diabetes.

“Every day we hear stories of patients who have scoured the country for pharmacists with supplies and traveled 100 miles to get a month’s supply or, in some cases, capsules enough of this medication to last the weekend,” explains Neil. .

“Patients are faced with a Catch-22 situation where, when they have sent their prescription to a particular pharmacy, if the medication is not available, they receive a credit note for when stocks are available, which sometimes months, not days,” he said. added.

He added that patients are still at “great risk” despite the National Patient Safety Agency’s (NPSA) safety alert.

It recommends that procurement rules be relaxed to allow the submission of PERT to unlicensed sources.

‘TRULY BEAUTIFUL’

However, Neil says there is no evidence that patients have access to them, and that the charity has heard of patients “traveling the country” for businessmen with supplies.

The Sun previously reported that patients have turned to Facebook in a desperate bid to get the drug after struggling to get any from a chemist.

Alfie Bailey-Bearfield of Pancreatic Cancer UK, said: “We are very concerned about the impact of the short-term shortage of Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT).

“PERT is as important to people with pancreatic cancer as insulin is to people with diabetes, and difficulties in obtaining an adequate supply can cause anxiety and worry. ”

He added: “People with pancreatic cancer rely on this important drug to digest food, maintain a healthy weight and ultimately, stay healthy, and stay healthy for treatment.”

“Not having enough can have a significant impact on symptom control and people’s daily quality of life.”

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We have inherited ongoing global supply problems which continue to affect the availability of medicines, including Creon.

“We know how painful this can be for patients and we are working closely with industry, the NHS and others in the supply chain to reduce the risk to patients and ensure that alternative products are available to treat see the regular is back in stock.”

If you or someone you love is struggling with a lack of Creon, Pancreatic Cancer UK has a specialist pancreatic cancer nurse who can help you do this.

To speak to a nurse, call the charity’s helpline on 0808 801 0707 or email [email protected]”.

DRUG EXPERIENCES

The latest drug supply issue suggests that drug shortages in the UK are getting worse.

There have also been ongoing problems with the supply of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs, ADHD drugs, antidepressants, and more recently, insulin.

A new medicine report has suggested a “serious” drug shortage is putting Brits’ health at risk.

Many patients are forced into “pharmacy bingo” and go from one to another trying to fill their prescription.

Janet Morrison, chief executive of Community Pharmacy England, which launched the report, said: “The supply chain challenges facing community pharmacies and their patients are huge.

“For some patients, not having access to the medicines they need can have very serious consequences, even leaving them needing to visit A&E.

“Pharmaceuticals are doing everything they can to find solutions for all their patients, but they don’t have the power to solve national and global supply problems.”