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Tens of thousands of people battling HIV could be affected by a shortage in crucial fighting drugs after Brexit, pharmacists have warned.

It comes just weeks after Wales rugby union legend Gareth Thomas revealed he has been living with HIV for years.

Gareth admits he thought "his life was over" when he was first diagnosed but his virus is now undetectable after he took antiretoviral drugs.

In a poignant message, Gareth said: “When I was diagnosed I decided straight away not to tell my family. I wanted to protect them and I didn’t want to put them through the pain,” he says.

“But then I realised that I had to be truthful with my family and my friends – and slowly, as I began to tell them, it empowered me.

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“Telling my parents was one of the hardest conversations I’ve ever had to have – because I’d do anything not to hurt them.”

Yvonne, a retired hospital secretary, and Barry, a former postman, initially struggled to understand Gareth’s diagnosis and were left fearing the worst after living through the 1980s AIDS crisis.

Gareth says: “I could see that they were frightened for me when I first told them.

“But I explained everything to them and told them I’m not dying, why I’m not dying and that – because of the medication I’m on – the virus isn’t transmittable to anyone else.

“They said, ‘You’re our son and if you tell us you’re not ill and your life’s not in danger, that’s good enough for us and we will support you’.

(Image: BBC)

“My parents and loved ones are fine with it.

“I was worried about how it would affect them, but I think sometimes I underestimate people. They’re amazing.”

But now experts are warning stocks of ‘PrEP’ - a Pre-exposure prophylaxis’ pill used to prevent the transmission of HIV could be under threat if the UK leaves the EU on October 31.

The Department of Health has said it is doing all it can to make sure patients have access to the medicines they need following Brexit.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "We fully understand the concerns some people have about the availability of medicines and we want to reassure them we are doing everything we can to make sure patients can access the medicines they need after Brexit on 31 October, whatever the circumstances.

(Image: Getty)

"We have no evidence to suggest current or previous supply issues are linked to Brexit."

However, James O’Loan, consultant pharmacist with Doctor 4 U, said Brexit uncertainty had made PrEP manufacturers jittery.

He said: "PrEP is a groundbreaking step forward in eradicating HIV.

"By stopping the virus from taking hold in your body, it makes sure that you stay HIV-negative despite the status of your partner or partners.

"And it’s a product where demand is high. PrEP first became available through Doctor 4 U in 2017, and between 2018 and now sales have risen over 1,200%.

(Image: Getty)

"But with Brexit looming, all drug manufacturers are having to relicense products from the EMA (European Medicines Agency) to the Government’s own MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency).

"Europe has also moved the medicines control from London to the Netherlands.

"As a result, drugs manufacturers are reducing their product portfolios.

"There are currently three manufacturers of PrEP - and as pharmacists we understand that a couple of these are potentially looking to pull out of the market.

"If demand continues to rise - as it has been doing for some time - shortages are almost inevitable."

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Part of the problem, says O’Loan, is the way people gain access to PrEP in the UK.

If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you can get PrEP for free on the NHS at most sexual health clinics after a consultation with a nurse. Wales is embarking on a three year pilot with unlimited spaces until the summer 2020.

In England, access to free PrEP on the NHS is much more difficult, and represents a ‘postcode lottery’.

NHS England started enrolling 10,000 people onto PrEP ’IMPACT’ trial in October 2017 - and then increased it to 26,000 places.

But that hasn’t met demand among those who want it.

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O’Loan says: "PrEP suppliers who didn’t win an NHS contract may move away from the UK market entirely.

"And the real problem is that the biggest purchaser - the NHS - still hasn’t said precisely how much stock they want to purchase in the future.

"So, on top of Brexit, you’ve got NHS hesitance adding to uncertainty in the market.

"Manufacturers haven’t got a clue how much stock to produce. So, again, we’re left in a situation where any delays in supply caused by Brexit could have real knock-on effects for people who rely on PrEP."

PrEP is also available to buy through private doctors or online prescribing services such as Doctor 4 U - for around £50 for 30 tablets.

(Image: PA)

Shortages in the UK, however, may force people to purchase PrEP from overseas sellers at a cheaper rate.

And O’Loan says customers who adopt that approach could end up with ‘dangerous’ counterfeit pills.

He added: "Unfortunately, buying PrEP online can be a risky business due to counterfeit and dangerous pills which may contain any number of unsafe substances being imported and sold to patients.

"The charity Terrence Higgins Trust recently tested a batch a pills purchased from overseas sellers and found no evidence of fake samples.

"But in my opinion the risk is ever present and patients need to be aware of the potential pitfalls."

(Image: BBC)

In 2017 there were 3,973 new diagnosis of HIV compared to just 186 in SCotland.

There is currently no cure for HIV, but medical advances mean that diagnosed patients can be treated with drugs that reduce the viral load, often making HIV undetectable.

Meanwhile health union leaders have also issued a stark warning that a no-deal Brexit could “devastate” the NHS and trigger potentially fatal medicine shortages.

A joint statement signed by 11 organisations - including the British Medical Association (BMA), Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Midwives, Unison, GMB, Unite and the TUC - said: “Many medicines, including life-saving agents for cancer diagnosis and therapy, cannot be stockpiled and, for those that can, stockpiles could run out.”

And the People's Vote campaign has said shortage fears strengthen the case for a final say referendum.

A spokesman said: "People did not vote to put health at risk in 2016 and there is no democratic mandate for a No Deal Brexit.

"Even if the drug companies are able and willing, the government’s own advice is that delays and queues at the ports will add days to the time it takes to deliver medicines to Britain.

"That will push costs up and add to the risk if people skip treatment or just cannot get what they need.

"Boris Johnson cannot be allowed to gamble with our health in this way.

"The reality is that any form of Brexit poses risks to the supply of medicines and to our NHS.

"That is why the only fair and democratic way out of this crisis is to have a final say referendum."

The government insists there is no evidence that there will be supply shortages of drugs following Brexit and that they have made "robust preparations".

For more information about HIV treatments, click here .