Hay fever tablets run low as pollen peaks

HAY FEVER medication supplies are running low because of a shortage of a common allergy drug as Met Office forecasters warn of high pollen levels over the coming days.

Stocks of chlorphenamine maleate, which is the active ingredient in Piriton and other hay fever remedies, are running low across the industry, according to Boots.

All Piriton tablets for adults are out of stock online at Boots, Lloyds Pharmacy and Coop Pharmacy, although Piriton syrups for children are still available.

This shortage coincides with high pollen forecasts for most of England and Wales for the next few days, according to the Met Office, with temperatures of up to 23C forecast this week as the sunny conditions look set to continue, with a few light showers.

The middle of May can be the worst time for many hay fever sufferers, as it is when the two main types of pollen – from trees and grasses – are being released at the same time.

Tree pollen, which one in four hay fever sufferers are allergic to, is usually released from late March to mid-may, while the grass pollen season, which more people are allergic to, often starts in the middle of May and lasts until July.

The allergy medication shortage seems to be limited just to formulations containing chlorphenamine maleate, with other antihistamines being in greater supply. There generally appears to be a good supply of drugs using cetirizine hydrochloride, including Piriteze, Benadryl, Allacan, and generic brands.

The pill supply crunch comes amid a wider drugs shortage problem in the UK. Two thirds of pharmacists report they face supply issues every day, according to research by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) released last month.

The PSNC also noted that three quarters of pharmacists have had to deal with aggression from patients who have been told they cannot provide medication they have been prescribed.

Noted problems have been seen in

the supply of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), with limits placed on some drugs to manage stocks. In a release, the Government said that demand for HRT had risen “dramatically” in recent times, with a 38 per cent increase in the number of items prescribed over the last seven years.

Issues with global supply chains and Brexit have also put pressure on available quantities of other drugs in recent years.

Hay fever could get worse over the coming years, as climate change lengthens the pollen season.

Over the past three decades, hay fever season has grown by 20 days in North America, according to figures released last year.

A warming climate also has the potential to welcome different plants to the UK, which would produce more pollen, according to the Met Office.

Daily changes in weather can also affect the severity of hay fever symptoms, which include itchy eyes, streaming noses and a tickly feeling in the throat.

Windy days tend to induce more severe symptoms as more pollen is blown off plants and circulated in the air. On the other hand, rainy days can wash away pollen and make hay fever more mild as a result. A spokesman for Boots said: “There are a very small number of lines that are currently out of stock due to a current, industry-wide shortage of the active ingredient chlorphenamine maleate.

“However, we are expecting this to be resolved soon and new deliveries are expected in the coming weeks.”

“Pollen levels will be high across much of the UK on Monday and Tuesday,” said Sarah Kent, a meteorologist at the Met Office. “At the moment, it’s predominantly tree pollen, [but] grass season is just starting.”

Chlorphenamine and cetirizine are both effective medications for treating hay fever, but the NHS said some people find one drug works better for them. Cetirizine is less likely to make users feel drowsy, according to the NHS.

‘Pollen levels will be high across much of the UK on Monday and Tuesday. Grass season is just starting’