PSNC has hit out at claims that pharmacists may take advantage of relaxed medicines quotas during the Olympics to boost their exporting businesses.

Chief executive Sue Sharpe urged manufacturers to agree to lift quotas during the games, despite the Health Service Journal reporting that one manufacturer believed London pharmacists would "stockpile" medicines for export.

Sue Sharpe: Pharmacists work very hard to make sure patients get their medicines

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The manufacturer, which was not identified, reportedly said it was concerned that a "large number" of pharmacists who exported medicines were based in East London.The company argued that this could create shortages following the games. But Ms Sharpe stressed that pharmacists worked "very hard" to ensure patients received their medicines on time. And she warned against abandoning NHS London's plans for the Olympics, which saw the trust write to manufacturers asking if they could lift medicines quotas for the period.

"In order for the agreed plans to work, everyone from pharmaceutical companies to wholesalers to pharmacies has to work very closely together," she said. "Interventions that could alarm the public unnecessarily are not helpful and risk undermining the positive spirit of collaboration we have established."

Wholesaling and manufacturer bodies today issued a statement suggesting they would continue with the agreed plans to ease supply chain delays.

"Manufacturers and wholesalers have been preparing for this situation and are working hard to ensure the necessary medicines reach pharmacists as normal throughout the Olympics," said Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and British Association of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers in a joint statement.

"Whenever pharmacists have difficulty obtaining a specific medicine from wholesalers they should contact the medicine's manufacturer as soon as possible – this remains the case during the Olympics."

In March, C+D reported that East London pharmacies could suffer "serious disruption" to medicines supply during the games.