Chemists in Swindon say they are being distracted from patient care by fears over drug supplies.

Pharmacists have pledged to do everything in their power to ensure patients will still get medicines in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Problems with drug supplies have been predicted if Britain ends up crashing out of Europe without a deal at the end of October.

The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS bodies up and down the country have been putting together contingency plans, which include securing extra warehouse space and ensuring suppliers stockpile an extra six weeks of medicines.

The head of a network which supports pharmacists across Swindon and Wiltshire said the sector was used to dealing with disrupted supplies.

Community Pharmacy Swindon and Wiltshire chief officer Fiona Castle said: “Medicines supply issues are a constant concern for us – with or without Brexit. There are many pressures both economic and practical, which are affecting the resilience of the medicines supply chain.

“Because of this, of all sectors, medicines supply is probably the best prepared for Brexit. The shortage scenarios are already tested on a day by day basis.”

But she said dealing with supply problems was now threatening to get in the way of delivering the best patient care.

“We are as prepared as we can be. However the time spent dealing with current medicines supply issues, and which may be needed if there is additional Brexit-related disruption, distracts from our role in providing excellent patient care.”

Ms Castle said pharmacists were keen to make greater use of their skills and knowledge to help take pressure off other parts of the NHS.

But she warned: “Growing this essential role is dependent on seamless medicines supply. As a pharmacist. I'd much rather spend my time talking to patients than on the telephone to wholesalers to find out when they expect their next delivery of a short supply medicine.”

Pharmacist Ali Hashemian of the Avicenna pharmacy at Lawn said there were already occasional problems with supplies of medicines.

A poster on the door of his pharmacy says 'Please Don’t Blame Us for the NHS Medicine Shortages' and urges people to lobby their MP over the issue.

“We have had a number of patients worried about medicines.

“No-one really knows what’s going to happen with Brexit. It definitely will have an effect.”

There has been concern about the security of insulin supplies for diabetics, as the majority of the drug is imported from Europe.

Diabetes UK Swindon group secretary Matthew Spencer said he had so far been reassured by work going on at a national level involving the charity and the government.

“Nobody has come up to me with deep concerns. The issue has been raised at a national level and the charity intends to hold the government to account.”