The NHS is facing a shortage of lifesaving medication, it has been reported.
A document circulated to some doctors from the medicine supply team at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) listed a number of drugs the NHS is said to be currently running out of.
These include treatments for cancer, heart conditions and epilepsy, The Guardian reports.
The 24-page document, headed "commercial-sensitive", listed 17 new drug shortages last week.
It also identified issues with 69 different types of medication including antibiotics for tuberculosis, diamorphine, various cancer drugs, heart condition drugs, Hepatitis vaccines and anti-epilepsy drugs.
Eight drugs have been discontinued and supply issues with over 20 drugs, previously hit by shortages, have now been resolved.
Doctors said some patients would have to be prioritised over others for some drugs.
And there may have to be 'a form of drug rationing'.
Due to the shortages, unlicensed versions of medicines may be imported, the document added.
However, not all the drugs listed have alternatives which could be prescribed.
Dr Nick Mann, a GP in Hackney in London, told The Guardian: “This situation is absolutely unprecedented.
"Previously we would have one or two or three drugs that would go offline for a while, but this is something on a different level.
"It is going to render the day-to-day treatments that doctors provide very difficult.”
The document also provides alternative solutions for the medicines running out.
For procyclidine, a Parkinson’s drug out of stock until March 2020, the document said that doctors should “consider sharing remaining stock locally with the support of your regional procurement lead”.
An alternative unlicensed medicine, is benztropine mesilate, which is available from pharmaceutical importers, according to the Specialist Pharmacy Service .
Other drugs such as glibenclamide tablets are out of stock as pharmaceutical company Wockhardt have discontinued them and do not have any stock remaining.
A spokeswoman for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society said: “Medicine shortages are an increasing problem. A range of factors are responsible for shortages, such as manufacturing problems, global demand for medicines and fluctuations in the exchange rate.
"At the moment pharmacists are working incredibly hard to get the medicines patients need. Pharmacists spend hours tracking down stock and working together to help patients.”
On its website, the NHS states: "The NHS does experience temporary shortages of some medicines, and has tried-and-tested ways of making sure patients receive their medicines and medical products, even under difficult circumstances."
Mirror Online has approached the NHS for comment.