Hay fever pill shortage: Are stocks low in Tayside and Fife – and where can you get Piriton or other antihistamines?

By Saskia Harper

May 13 2022, 5:53am

Hay fever season is here, but with the country experiencing a national shortage of antihistamines, how are Tayside and Fife affected?

We investigated stock levels at pharmacies across Dundee, Angus, Fife and Perthshire, to find out how the shortage is impacting our areas.

Why is there an antihistamine shortage?

There is currently a shortage of an ingredient called chlorphenamine maleate. This has had a knock-on effect and has led to a shortage of Piriton and Piriteze.

And with customers switching to different brands and supermarket own-brand alternatives, this has led to an overall shortage of antihistamines.

But what is the picture in Tayside and Fife?

Dundee

Boots, High Street

There was a full house at Boots on Dundee’s High street, with Piriton, Piriteze and their own brand antihistamines all in stock when we checked.

Good news for hay fever sufferers in Dundee.

Superdrug, Wellgate Centre

When we checked, Superdrug in the Wellgate Centre had Piriteze and their own brand of antihistamine in stock, but no Piriton.

Boots, Broughty Ferry

Boots in Broughty Ferry didn’t have any Piriton or Piriteze in stock, and didn’t have their own-brand alternative either.

However, they did have a different branded option available.

Angus

Superdrug, High Street, Arbroath

There was no Piriton available at Superdrug in Arbroath.

But they had Piriteze and their own brand available, as well as hay fever wipes.

Many pharmacies are out of Piriton at the moment.

Boots, St David Street, Brechin

Boots in Brechin were out of all types of antihistamines when we checked.

Davidsons Chemists, Castle Street, Forfar

Davidson’s in Forfar had no Piriton, but did have Piriteze in stock.

Perthshire

Lloyds Pharmacy, Glover Street, Perth

There was no Piriton or Piriteze at Lloyds in Perth, but they did have their own brand and alternative brands available too.

Lloyds in Perth had their own brand and other brands available.

Davidsons Chemists, Dunkeld

Both Piriton and Piriteze were in stock at the Davidsons chemist in Dunkeld.

Davidsons Chemists, Pitlochry

This store had Piriton and Piriteze in liquid form, but no tablets. The did have their own-brand pills, however.

Fife

Dears Pharmacy, Glenrothes

Dears in Glenrothes had no Piriton or Piriteze in stock, but did have alternative brands available.

Lloyds Pharmacy, High Street, Kirkcaldy

Lloyds on Kirkcaldy High Street had Piriton and Piriteze in stock, in both tablet and liquid form.

Boots, St Andrews

This store had no Piriton but did have Piriteze and Boots’ own-brand antihistamines in stock too.

Advice from the pharmacist

Adam Osprey, policy and development pharmacist at Community Pharmacy Scotland, says: “Community pharmacists and pharmacy teams are experts at managing when there are shortages.

“The shortage is due to last only a few more weeks and then stocks will be back in.

“It could potentially be disruptive, given we’re firmly entering hay fever season.

“What’s really fortunate is antihistamines are a broad family of drugs. The two affected by shortages at the moment are only two out of several more that can be tried.”