'My 100-mile round trip for life-saving medicine'

A man with cystic fibrosis who has to do a two-hour round trip to get medication to keep him alive said a shortage of the drug was an "appalling disaster".

Jonathan Kitson, 29, from the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, said he sometimes had to travel 50 miles to Manchester to pick up his prescription of Creon.

Creon, a pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (Pert) which helps digestion, has been hard to obtain for the last year and global shortages are predicted to last until 2026, according to Pancreatic Cancer UK.

The government said it was working closely with manufacturers and the NHS to resolve the supply issues as quickly as possible.

It is understood that more than 61,000 people in the UK need the drug, including those with pancreatic cancer, cystic fibrosis and chronic pancreatitis.

The Department of Health and Social Care said the shortage was caused by a limited availability of raw ingredients and manufacturing capacity constraints.

Mr Kitson has been on Creon from birth and has to take 30 tablets a day so he can eat properly and live a normal life.

He said his pancreas has "degraded" with age, and because of that he has had to take eight to 10 tablets per meal and between two and four with a snack.

"If I was totally unable to take Creon I would suffer malnutrition," he said.

"Thankfully I haven't as of yet, as I have been able to get intermittent supplies - but it is not constant."

Mr Kitson noticed there were problems when, at the end of 2023, when his deliveries began not to turn up.

He was moved onto a stronger dose which meant he would need fewer tablets, but he said these also stopped coming.

"At one point I was no longer able to get Creon from my local pharmacy whatsoever. I was surprised," he said.

"I had to drive to the Cystic Fibrosis health centre in Wythenshawe, 50 miles away, and they gave me short-term supply that only lasted me a few weeks."

He said he was now managing his situation, but added it had been very stressful.

He said: "I can't just go and have a snack. I've got to think, do I have enough Creon to get me through?

"This is such a basic medication, but it is so vital for people to have a normal, daily life. That's all that people want".

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "We know how frustrating and distressing medicine supply issues can be for patients, and the pharmacists and clinicians caring for them.

"We've issued guidance to healthcare professionals and encourage anyone concerned to consult their clinician".

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