Patients’ lives are being risked by profiteering pharmacists, hospitals and wholesalers who are selling prescription drugs to the European market whileUK patients are left without or have to wait for their prescriptions.

Nearly 50 drugs needed by patients, with conditions from breast cancer and Parkinson’s disease to depression and epilepsy, are in short supply because traders are selling the drugs abroad for more money in a businessworth worth more than £360m a year.

The medicines and healthcare regulator, the MHRA, will write to all drug manufacturers and wholesale licence holders to warn them that they could face legal action if they are found to be exporting drugs needed by British patients. This follows recent guidance issued by the Department of Health, regulators and professional bodies to remind all traders of their legal obligations to give UK patients priority over profit.

Pharmacists and patient groups warn that it is only a matter of time before a patient suffers serious harm unless the whole industry accepts it’s responsibility to put patients first. Industry insiders suggest some patients have been missing doses of essential medicines for more than a year.

A detailed “shopping list” of drugs in demand for export in November currently circulating among pharmacies, dispensing doctors, wholesalers and hospitals includes several drugs which are in short supply, which should not be bought or sold.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said:

“There is no doubt there are unethical and criminal activities going on, yet the reaction so far has been wholly inadequate and the problem has been allowed to get worse. While a total crisis may have been averted so far, in that no one has died as far as we know, this is causing immense disruption and distress for many patients already struggling to cope with illness.”

Research by the consultants IMS revealed that 11% of UK pharmacies and a small proportion of dispensing doctors are exploiting the European market and are exporting £30million worth of medicines meant to be used in Britain every month. Wholesalers are also believed to be taking a very significant role, according to the pharmaceutical trade association, ABPI. An increase in production has led to increased exports at the same time as shortages continue.

Many pharmacists find themselves caught between wholesalers and manufacturers, who both blame each other. There were 77,000 emergency deliveries made to pharmacies by three drug companies in the first five months of this year, which is a 12-fold increase on the same period last year, according to the ABPI.

James Wood, a pharmacist in Sheffield, spent two hours on the phone last Wednesday trying to obtain emergency supplies for four patients, and this is now part of his daily routine, which means that he, and thousands of other pharmacists, has less time to spend with their patients.

Drug companies sell the same drug at a different price in every country. Britain was one of Europe’s biggest importers of cheap drugs from Spain and Greece, but since the pound lost value against the euro and UK drug prices dropped, there is now a massive demand for British medicines overseas.

The MHRA has issued 180 new wholesale licences so far this year, an increase of 59% on the number issued in 2008. Authorised traders do not need to seek permission to import or export within the EU as free-market principles also apply to medicines but they have a legal duty to ensure that the needs of patients in the UK needs are met.

 Norman Lamb said:

“The DoH must initiate an urgent investigation into those companies and individuals involved and put a stop to this despicable, unethical and illegal trade.”