'No truth' to rumours that Inverness chemists are running out of medicines due to Brexit

A leading chemist has said there is no truth to rumours that supplies of medicines are running out in Inverness due to Brexit.

Customers at the Boots the Chemist in Inverness Shopping Park and at the Eastgate Centre have complained of a lack of run-of-the-mill medications such as paracetamol and ibuprofen on the shelves.

In response staff members from both shops said they believed the problem was to do with Brexit, and supplies in the UK were running low.

Customers said that when asking about other medications such as life saving epi-pens, statins to reduce cholesterol in the blood stream, and asprin tablets they were told they were all in short supply.

Customer Shirley Mackay told the Inverness Courier she was concerned that the shop staff were clearly being told one thing while the management were saying another.

Mrs Mackay said: "I was in both the Boots stores over the last couple of days to pick up prescriptions for me and people I care for, and I have been told that medicines are running low or are unavailable. When I ask why, the answer is always the same 'blame Brexit'."

Another customer said he was told the same thing.

John Lynch said: "I was in for paracetamol and I asked a staff member why there were not many on the shelf and she said it probably had something to with Brexit.

"If it is, it is very worrying indeed."

However, a spokesman for Boots: "Shortages can happen at any time and for a number of reasons across the whole industry.

"We work closely with our partners to manage supply shortages when they do occur, though our medication supply is not currently impacted by Brexit."

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