Ms Smeaton was asked to comment on the shortages situation after a listener called with concerns about delays receiving her medicines.

Pharmacists were having to spend more than an hour every week chasing medicines and were experiencing supply problems with more than 30 medicines, Ms Smeaton told the programme.

She highlighted the recent Devon LPC audit, which showed patients were having to wait on average 4.4 days for medicines, where supply isues occurred.

And asked what could be done to solve the problem, Ms Smeaton highlighted efforts in other European countries, where legal obligations have been on the supply chain to ensure pharmacies and patients are supplied with medicines promptly.

To listen to the clip from You and Yours, click here.