Jodie Jae Porteous

PEOPLE who are unable to get their drugs from pharmacies in the wake of a national shortage have called the situation a “catastrophe” that could lead to fatalities.

ADHD awareness campaigner Jodie Jae Porteous – who has hundreds of thousands of online followers – says she has been contacted by hundreds of people unable to get hold of their drugs, and warned that without medication some people may consider taking their lives.

She said: “The drug shortages situation is catastrophic. ADHD is not a trend and receiving care isn’t a luxury, it’s a basic need.

“When you’ve took the meds and you’ve seen the improvement and how much better life can be – when those symptoms come flooding back it feels 10 times worse. It could be fatal for some.

“It’s very, very dangerous. People are feeling very desperate and suicide is higher in people with ADHD.”

Ms Porteous, 28, lived in Angel for years and studied at Urdang Dance Academy at City University.

She described her own ADHD diagnosis, which she received last year, as a “game changer”, allowing her to finally address her poor mental health.

“My confidence was on the floor before I got my diagnosis,” she said, but now, with medication, “I feel like I am the version of me that I want to be.”

An independent report leaked last week to the i newspaper found that a “contributing factor” to drugs shortages was Brexit-related red tape, while Community Pharmacy England, which represents NHS pharmacists, said medicine shortages are “as bad as they have ever been”.

There are also shortages of antibiotics and hormone replacement therapy (HRT), used to treat the menopause.

The scarcity of drugs means the NHS has to pay more to get them into the country.

Dilveer Paneser, a paediatric cardiologist from Barnsbury, warned that getting a prescription changed to match the drugs available was a “very difficult thing to try and navigate,” even for her as a doctor, as appointments with psychiatrists and GPs could be tricky. She called the shortage a “crisis”.

One mother, who did not want to be named in order to protect her child, said she was rationing his medication.

Some children are obliged to take their medication to go to school.

Mike Patel, a dispenser at Rose Chemist in Upper Street, Angel, said the situation had become “dangerous” for patients unable to access their medication.

“How can they manage their condition if the medication is not available?” he asked. “There are so many products not available.”

Steve Matthews, a dispenser at Goldvenue in Essex Road, said “patients are suffering” and felt that the drug shortage was part of a wider crisis in the country around cost of living challenges.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said they expected some ADHD medication shortages to be resolved by the end of the year and blamed it on “a number of reasons,” including “manufacturing difficulties, regulatory problems, supply of raw materials [and] sudden demand spikes or distribution”.

He added: “We understand medicine shortages can be distressing but we want to reassure patients we are working intensively with manufacturers to increase supply for the UK and ensure continuous access to ADHD medicines for those who need them.”

The government plan to host a “round table” this month with pharmaceutical suppliers “to discuss progress with resolving the current supply issues and their longer term plans to continue to boost supplies to the UK”.