Pharmacy teams are fielding questions from patients worried about the safety of medicines and vaccinations, a National Pharmacy Association (NPA) survey has found.
In a snap poll of 500 pharmacies – serving an estimated 2.5 million patients – almost a third (32%) said patients had indicated they were less likely to get themselves or their children vaccinated, while a quarter (24%) reported questions about the safety of paracetamol.
The findings come in the wake of baseless, unevidenced claims made by US President Donald Trump that the use of paracetamol in pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of autism.
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More than half (58%) of respondents expressed concern that the ongoing debate in the US could undermine confidence and pose risks to patient safety in the UK.
Pharmacies are reassuring patients that paracetamol remains safe and appropriate for use in pregnancy when needed to treat fever or pain, and are urging parents to continue to get children vaccinated to prevent serious illness.
Olivier Picard, chair of the NPA, said: ‘President Trump’s comments break long-standing international consensus around treatments which strong medical evidence suggests are very safe, highly effective and used by millions of people over many years.
‘People have every right to question medicines but it is vitally important that patients get their medical advice from trusted and well evidenced sources, such as pharmacists and doctors who have seen the clinical research underpinning treatments.’
Mr Picard added that misinformation around vaccines and treatments risks causing unnecessary alarm and guilt among parents.
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‘Paracetamol remains an effective and safe pain relief option for patients, including for pregnant women, and leaving fever and pain untreated can pose risks to unborn babies,’ he said.
‘Childhood vaccination campaigns have also been crucial in preventing serious illnesses that were commonplace in the UK 60 years ago, such as measles, but people can easily be swayed by what they hear online or on the television.
‘If patients are concerned about the safety of medication, they should speak to their local pharmacist.’
Last week, pharmacists were told to follow advice from UK regulators and continue to advise pregnant women to take paracetamol as their first choice of pain relief where appropriate.
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A statement issued by the chief safety officer at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Dr Alison Cave, said that advice on medicines in pregnancy is based on ‘rigorous assessment of the best available scientific evidence’ and ‘carefully evaluated by our independent scientific experts’.
The MHRA said paracetamol remains a safe and effective method of pain relief for patients.
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