Aspirin was the most frequently affected of the three medicines examined in a freedom of information survey, according to Dr Rodolfo Catena, a global health supply specialist at University College London.
Of the 42 NHS trusts that provided information on aspirin, 26—62%—reported supply disruption between December last year and March this year. Catena contacted 184 trusts, The Guardian reports.
Co-codamol, a painkiller combining paracetamol and codeine, was in short supply at 31% of the 42 trusts that responded. Royal Wolverhampton NHS trust reported difficulty securing adequate quantities for the 10 months from October 2025 to August this year.
Seven of the 43 trusts that answered questions about ramipril—16%—said they could not obtain enough stock. The 1.25mg capsules of the blood pressure medicine have faced shortages across the UK this year.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) introduced a Serious Shortage Protocol for 1.25mg ramipril capsules on April 22 and extended it beyond May 29. The measure restricts community pharmacies to dispensing no more than a one-month supply for each prescription.
Catena also found that Frimley Health NHS trust in southern England had paid significantly higher prices to secure ramipril and protect its supplies.
He urged the DHSC to strengthen the resilience of the medicines supply chain after discovering that 92% of responding trusts had no contingency plan for dealing with shortages.
Meanwhile, 82% said they had not notified NHS England about the shortages. Under existing arrangements, responsibility for alerting the department to potential supply problems rests with pharmaceutical companies.
Catena believes NHS trusts should also be required to report shortages. He said this would give health service leaders earlier warning and allow them to take steps to limit the impact.
A spokesperson for the Society for Acute Medicine, which represents hospital doctors, told The Guardian: “Medicine shortages can disrupt treatment and create additional pressure for clinical and pharmacy teams. The key is ensuring resilient supply chains, timely communication and access to suitable alternatives so patient care is not delayed.”
A health department spokesperson said: “We regularly speak to NHS trusts and national clinical leads about medicine availability and are aware that ramipril is in limited supply, which is why we issued serious shortage protocols so patients in the UK can still get the medication they need. We are working closely with relevant suppliers to resolve this and issues with co-codamol and aspirin to ensure continuity of supply.
“The vast majority of the UK’s licensed medicines are in good supply, and we have robust measures in place to mitigate disruption for patients. This government is investing in the UK medicine manufacturing industry to manage supply disruptions where they occur.”
