Medicines shortages across Scotland are sparking crisis among family doctors who say their patients are at risk, a medical and dental legal support body has revealed as it calls for mental health support for doctors.

Almost 9 in 10 GPs say the shortage of prescription medicine is severely hampering their ability to practice safely, according to a Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS) survey.

Most GPs also say these shortages are causing them ‘moral distress’ on a weekly basis, as they cannot access the medicines their patients need.

The impact of the shortages on GPs is so bad, MDDUS says, that a third report coming to work anxious and almost one in five intend to quit due to these and other pressures facing primary care.

This comes after RCGP Scotland’s Chair said without a “major shift to prioritise primary care”, the Scottish government will not achieve its vision to improve and protect the NHS.

The GPs say medicine shortages have worsened in 2024, with almost all respondents to the MDDUS survey saying there has been a lack of guidance on how to advise patients about the shortages, including timescales for when their medicines will next be available.

One GP said:

“It is very frustrating. I can see it only getting worse rather than better. It makes you just want to give up sometimes.”

Another GP said:

“It makes you second guess yourself frequently. Clinical decisions are now being influenced by this lack of medications which leads to increased sense of worry.”

More than half (53%) say they were concerned about the risk of a complaint or claim against them or their practice.

A small but significant minority (17%) of GPs reported the issues are making them consider leaving the medical profession.

Over the past six months, the government has been asked by MSPs about supply issues in medicines for patients with both ADHD and cystic fibrosis.

In April, then-First Minister Humza Yousaf said medicines shortages are one of the “disastrous impacts” of Brexit, adding that NHS Scotland has “robust processes” to manage these.

However, while the availability of some medicines has been impacted post-Brexit, MDDUS says other factors include global supply chain issues and problems created by bureaucratic processes in the NHS.

GPs report hormone-replacement therapies, diabetes medicines, epilepsy medicines and cardiac medicines as among the most scarce, with 94% saying their workload has increased as a result.

One GP explained that despite working “as hard as we can”, GPs are unable to meet patients’ needs due to constraints out of their control, adding:

“It makes workdays harder than necessary and mentally exhausting.”

MDDUS is calling on governments across the UK to urgently investigate better, more compassionate ways for pressurised medics to seek wellbeing help and speak out about their mental health concerns.

Dr John Holden, chief medical officer at MDDUS, said it is “disturbing” to see how many GPs are suffering both professionally and personally as they feel they are failing patients:

“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’re 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.

“Regardless of which party forms the government after the general election, the incoming health secretary must urgently prioritise NHS workforce issues – including practitioners’ own mental health and wellbeing – as they get to grips with their new job.”

Read more: Scotland's doctors ‘trying not to lose hope'; College: Preserve GPs to preserve the NHS; NHS is not a ‘political football', warns BMA; Auditor General: Difficult choices for Scotland's NHS; Workforce and public to inform NHS reform; Reframing how we value carers

Sign up to our bulletin for key health & social care updates straight to your inbox and you can follow healthandcare.scot on Google News.