London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 25, 2025

Strep A antibiotics skyrocket as prices 'hiked up to take advantage' of demand

Strep A antibiotics skyrocket as prices 'hiked up to take advantage' of demand

A pharmaceutical industry leader told Sky News the price of antibiotic Amoxicillin has risen from 80p to £18 following "volatile spikes in demand for drugs".
The cost of antibiotics needed to treat Strep A has skyrocketed - as industry professionals claim prices have been hiked up to take advantage of "unprecedented" demand.

Multiple pharmacies have warned they cannot obtain the necessary medications to treat Strep A as a 16th child died in Sussex with a suspected infection on Friday - despite the government insisting there are "sufficient" stocks and dismissing concerns about a national shortage.

But one pharmaceutical industry leader who agreed to speak to Sky News anonymously said the cost of antibiotic Amoxicillin has risen from 80p to £18.

Shortages have been driven by "complicated supply chains" for medications and the raw materials used to make them, in many different parts of the world.

However, the industry has also seen "volatile spikes in demand for drugs" - following a sharp decline in demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were not mixing or seeing GPs.

The Department of Health and Social Care told Sky News that it is "normal" for prices to "fluctuate based on demand".

"What's important is patients are still able to access antibiotics, which they are," a spokesperson said.

"We are working urgently with manufacturers and wholesalers to explore what can be done to expedite deliveries and bring forward stock they have to help ensure it gets to where it's needed, to meet demand as quickly as possible and support access to these vital medicines."

A letter from NHS England to pharmacists, seen by Sky News, said local pharmacy teams may be experiencing a "temporary interruption of supply of some relevant antibiotics due to increased demand."

Supply chain disruption in China

Sky News understands there is particular disruption in the Chengdu region of China, where raw materials are sourced before being delivered to Bangladesh for manufacturing.

"The minute there is a shortage, there are people who hold stocks who will take advantage of it in order to price it however they want to price it, and they can price it pretty much wherever they like," the industry leader said.

"So you have a lot of small, so-called short line wholesalers who will make hay while the sun shines and will be charging what they want, because they know there is enormous demand."

The NHS gives pharmacies a price each month for drugs they have been dispensed.

But if the price falls sharply, pharmacies end up getting underpaid, the industry leader said.

"The problem pharmacists are facing is there is a big cash shortfall when you see very rapid price increases.

"Temporarily we might be able to cover the cost - but it might mean some pharmacists go bust," they warned.

The shortage is "scare-led and demand-led" but is unlikely to continue "indefinitely" and could "fade away quite quickly".

They likened the situation to people stockpiling toilet paper during the pandemic.

"The amount the UK requires is extremely predictable but the moment anyone suggests there isn't enough of it, immediately it goes out of stock because you can't ramp up capacity that quickly."

Shortfalls will probably last for another year, they suggested.

"Unprecedented shortage"

But even a temporary shortage will be a "serious problem", an independent pharmacist in Oxfordshire warned - describing the situation as "unprecedented".

Faheem Ahmed told Sky News' Adele Robinson he had just three boxes of antibiotics - with many out of stock.

"I hope it is temporary, but we are dealing with bacteria here, so when you say temporary, these bacteria multiply in minutes, seconds.

"They are not going to wait for two, three, four days so whether it is temporary or long-term, if you look at it from a scientific level…the infection is going to spread."

Mr Ahmed said in the 10 years since he qualified, he has never known a shortage of antibiotics - and parents are "panicking".

The NHS would typically reimburse around £1.39 for drugs which have now risen more than double in price to £3.50.

"For some reason in the space of three to four weeks, we can't get hold of the raw materials," Mr Ahmed told Sky News.

"The manufacturers say 'we don't have it', the suppliers don't have it, so now we have the demand which will always be there at this time of year.

"It has gone up, supply has come down and I wouldn't be surprised once the NHS has to pay more, I think stock will be back."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
×