UK Creon Shortage Forces Cancer Patients to Skip Meals

A severe shortage of Creon, a vital pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) medication, is affecting over 61,000 UK patients with pancreatic cancer, cystic fibrosis, and chronic pancreatitis. Pharmacists describe this as the worst stock shortage they have ever encountered, with 96% of pharmacies struggling to supply Creon and 89% facing difficulties with alternative PERT medications. The scarcity has forced patients to ration their medication by skipping meals, reducing doses, and traveling long distances to find supplies, severely impacting their health and quality of life. The shortage is due to European-wide supply issues, including raw ingredient scarcity and manufacturing constraints, and is expected to continue into next year. Pharmacy leaders urge the government to establish a national taskforce and action plan to address the crisis, emphasizing the urgency given the medication’s critical role in enabling patients to tolerate chemotherapy and undergo surgery. The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledges the problem and is working with industry and the NHS to mitigate the impact on patients.