‘Rationing’ warning over shortage of common blood pressure medicine
British pharmacies are rationing a type of blood pressure medication after the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) issued a drug supply notice due to supply chain issues. According to a recent notification shared by UK Community Pharmacy, there are intermittent supply issues with ramipril 1.25 mg capsules until the end of May 2026. The Severe Shortage Protocol (SSP) for ramipril 1.25 mg capsules was published on April 22, 2026. This allows community pharmacists to limit supply to one month.
The medication helps the heart pump blood more efficiently by relaxing blood vessels. It is among the five most prescribed medicines in the UK, and figures from the NHS reveal pharmacies will dispense more than 35 million doses of ramipril in 2025. Experts stressed that millions of Brits rely on the drug and said the Government needed to carefully manage alternative treatments offered to patients. Olivier Picard, president of the National Association of Pharmacists, is among those who share significant concerns.
He told Sun Health: “We are concerned about this latest shortage as a number of pharmacies have been unable to order some of the strengths of Ramipril and where stock is available the cost has increased in recent weeks.
“Pharmacies are increasingly facing supply issues affecting everyday medications used by millions of people every day.”
Other health experts said the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz could have knock-on effects on other medicines. NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey has previously warned that supplies such as gloves and syringes, as well as some medicines, may be in short supply.
DHSC and NHS England have launched an online Medicines Supply Tool providing up-to-date information on medicines supply chain issues for those with an NHS email address.
“The fragility of the global supply chain is being exacerbated by international instability and long-term underfunding of pharmacies, which has driven medicine prices in the UK to unsustainable levels,” Dr Picard added.
The charity says 31 per cent of men and 26 per cent of women in England have high blood pressure. Meanwhile, it is stated that there are more than five million undiagnosed people in England.
