Scots GPs last night warned patient safety is at risk due to a chronic shortage of prescription medicines.

Medics said their ability to effectively treat people is being compromised and that the battle to source vital medicine has reached crisis point.

A survey of practitioners, including GPs, by the Medical and Dental Defence Union Scotland (MDDUS) found nine out of ten members said the ability to ‘practise medicine safely’ has now been ‘impacted’.

Nearly half, 45 per cent, said they were ‘seeing patients whose overall health has deteriorated’ as a result of the ‘shortage of medicine’.

Many drugs have been difficult to source over the last few weeks

The issue is affecting a range of conditions and includes drugs used to treat cystic fibrosis, diabetes and epilepsy, as well as hormone replacement therapy, opioid painkillers and medicines for heart conditions.

Manufacturing and logistical problems caused by Brexit, the conflict in Ukraine and the Covid pandemic have previously been cited as reasons for the supply problem.

One GP stated: ‘It is very demoralising working as hard as we can – and still being unable to meet patients’ needs due to constraints outside of our control. It makes workdays harder than necessary and mentally exhausting.’

A second GP said: ‘Clinical decisions are now being influenced by this lack of medications which leads to an increased sense of worry.’

Another medic said: ‘It is very frustrating and I can see it getting worse rather than better. It makes you just want to give up sometimes.’

The MDDUS, which has more than 65,000 members in the UK, said it conducted the survey due to the level of anecdotal evidence coming in from members unable to access medicines.

The survey data relates to healthcare professionals in Scotland and shows a fifth were ‘seriously’ affected by the shortages. One in eight said they were considering leaving their jobs, thereby potentially exacerbating existing staffing problems in the NHS in Scotland.

We told in June how some patients were being forced to travel for miles to get vital drugs.

The Mail on Sunday has launched a campaign to end the shortages nightmare and is calling on the UK and Scottish governments to take steps to tackle the issue.

These include implementing changes which would give pharmacists more power to make substitutions when drugs are out of stock, forcing manufacturers to give advance warning of known shortages or face fines, and allowing all NHS patients access to hospital pharmacies to source crucial drugs.

Problematic medicines include shortages with Creon, a vital supplement people with cystic fibrosis must take or risk bowel pain, dramatic weight loss, infections and grave illness.

A Serious Shortage Protocol (SSP) has also been in place for antibiotic Clarithromycin, and Isosorbide Mononitrate, a cardiac drug.

Dr John Holden, chief medical officer at MDDUS, said: ‘We hear regularly from doctors about the enormous pressures they face every day in the NHS, but the crisis around medicine shortages is making things even worse.

‘It is not uncommon for doctors to contact us when they feel they are at the very edge of their ability to cope with these pressures. Our survey shows these ongoing shortages are leading to a significant number of GPs questioning whether they want to continue in their role at a time when the NHS needs to retain as many doctors as possible to cope with demand.

‘It is also disturbing to see how many GPs are suffering from professional and personal moral distress because they feel they are failing their patients by being unable to access the medicine they know is necessary.’

Scottish Conservative deputy health spokesman Tess White said: ‘These findings are deeply concerning and the shortages will undoubtedly be causing great stress for the patients affected.

‘Given the pressures GPs are also continuing to face, this will be adding to their feeling of burnout while trying to support patients.’ A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We are working with all relevant stakeholders to try to manage these issues and offer advice to healthcare professionals about suitable alternatives.

‘We are also continuing to engage with the UK Government, as medicine supply is a reserved issue.’

The Department of Health and Social Care said: ‘We have inherited ongoing global supply problems that continue to impact the availability of medicines.

‘We know how distressing this can be for patients, and we are working closely with industry, the NHS, devolved governments and others in the supply chain to mitigate the risk to patients and make sure alternative products are available until their usual treatments are back in stock.