A Kent man who has had three-quarters of his pancreas removed says he will "fade away" without a medication that there has been a nationwide shortage of since 2024.
Paul Elcombe, from Hartley, takes Creon three times a day, after major surgery three years ago left him no longer able to create enough enzymes to break down food.
As it stands, he has three and a half weeks worth of tablets left, having only had one prescription filled this year.
He said: "You need it to survive, without it [Creon] your body can't break down the food...it's as important as insulin is to a diabetic."
The nationwide shortage, which the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) says is a "European-wide" supply issue, has forced the 63-year-old and his wife to spend time travelling to different pharmacies in a bid to get the medication.
He said: "I know it sounds dramatic, but without it you will just fade away...it's very scary."
Source: BBC News, 5 June 2025
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