The 114 medicines in shortest supply including heart and dementia drugs prescribed to thousands – is YOURS on the list?

BRITS are continuing to face some of the “most severe” shortages of NHS medicines on record.

Earlier this week, officials sounded the alarm over two drugs, one to prevent strokes and the other to treat allergies, warning certain doses would remain out of stock for weeks.

Another, an antidepressant, is now expected to remain unavailable across the UK until November.

Drug shortages reached a record high earlier this year with pharmacists warning the situation is “deeply alarming”.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has repeatedly warned that medicine shortages pose a “serious risk to patient safety”.

The Royal College of GPs has also raised concerns about the impact medicine shortages have on patients, GPs and pharmacists.

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When market prices rise suddenly – often above the original tariff and even above the concession price offered – pharmacies end up dispensing medication at a loss, meaning they are not fully reimbursed by the NHS.

This then makes it harder for pharmacies to buy enough stock for their patients, increasing the likelihood that people will face delays or sudden shortages.

Medicines that have been on the list for the last two months include:

Thirty types of cardiovascular medications, from ACE inhibitors to blood thinners
Twenty three types of mental health and neurological medications, including antidepressants, dementia medications and migraine drugs
Seven types of gastrointestinal medications – from anti-sickness and IBS treatments to laxatives and gout treatments
Ten types of hormone and endocrine medications – e.g. HRT, thyroid hormones and steroids
Nine different pain relief drugs
Antihistamines, certain weight loss medication, diuretics, bladder control medicines and antimalarials

According to the NPA, pharmacists are spending hours sourcing scarce medication while GPs are having to alter prescriptions to fit in with supply issues, inconveniencing and often worrying patients.

A recent survey by the pharmacy body, which represents around 6,000 independent community pharmacies in the UK, found that 96 per cent felt the situation posed a serious risk to the safety of their patients.

Full list of the 114 medicines at risk of shortages

When pharmacies cannot source a drug at or below the reimbursement price as set out in the Drug Tariff, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) can introduce a price concession at the request of Community Pharmacy England.

The price concessions list is updated every month and as of the August 2026, there were 230 different medicines on it.

When comparing the list from July and August, there were 114 medicines that appeared on both.

These were:

30 types of cardiovascular medications:

ACE Inhibitors

Enalapril
Lisinopril
Perindopril erbumine
Ramipril

Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs)

Candesartan

Antiarrhythmics

Amiodarone
Digoxin
Flecainide

Anticoagulants (Blood Thinners)

Apixaban
Rivaroxaban
Warfarin

Beta-Blockers

Bisoprolol
Carvedilol
Labetalol
Sotalol
Timolol

Calcium Channel Blockers

Lacidipine
Nifedipine
Verapamil

Lipid-Lowering Medications (Statins & Cholesterol)

Atorvastatin
Ezetimibe
Fenofibrate
Simvastatin

Heart related chest pain and blood flow

Isosorbide mononitrate
Naftidrofuryl
Nicorandil
Ranolazine

Antiplatelets

Aspirin
Dipyridamole
Ticagrelor

23 types of mental health and neurology meds:

Anticonvulsants / Nerve Pain Medications

Gabapentin
Lacosamide
Lamotrigine
Levetiracetam
Phenobarbital
Pregabalin

Antidepressants

Clomipramine
Fluoxetine
Lofepramine
Mirtazapine
Nortriptyline
Sertraline
Venlafaxine

Parkinson’s & Neurological Disorders

Pyridostigmine bromide
Ropinirole
Trihexyphenidyl

Antipsychotics

Aripiprazole
Chlorpromazine
Haloperidol

Migraine medications

Sumatriptan

Sedatives, Anxiolytics & Sleep Aids

Clonazepam
Melatonin
Zolpidem

9 types of pain relief

Anti-Inflammatory & Pain Relief (NSAIDs & Non-Opioids)

Diclofenac sodium
Indometacin
Meloxicam
Nefopam

Opioid Analgesics (Pain Relief)

Alfentanil
Co-codamol
Codeine
Morphine sulfate
Oxycodone

10 types of anti-infectives

Antibiotics & Antimicrobials

Amoxicillin
Chloramphenicol
Co-trimoxazole
Erythromycin
Flucloxacillin
Lymecycline
Oxytetracycline

Antifungals

Clotrimazole
Itraconazole

Antivirals

Aciclovir

10 types of hormone and endocrine medications:

Antidiabetics

Dapagliflozin
Gliclazide
Metformin

Hormonal Therapies & Endocrine Agents

Bicalutamide
Levothyroxine sodium
Progesterone
Tamoxifen

Corticosteroids

Dexamethasone
Hydrocortisone
Mometasone

7 types of gastro medicines

Gastrointestinal & Antispasmodics

Esomeprazole
Glycopyrronium bromide
Hyoscine butylbromide
Lansoprazole
Prucalopride
Rabeprazole

Immunosuppressants

Azathioprine

10 other categories of medications:

Alpha-Blockers (prostate/high blood pressure)

Doxazosin

Antimalarials & Disease-Modifying Antirheumatics (DMARDs)

Hydroxychloroquine
Leflunomide
Quinine sulfate

Antihistamines

Loratadine

Vitamins, Minerals & Food Supplements

Ascorbic acid
Colecalciferol
Cyanocobalamin
Folic acid
Vitamins A and D capsules

Weight Loss & Smoking Cessation

Nicotine medicated chewing gum
Orlistat

Topicals & Emollients

Aqueous cream

Urological & Bladder Control

Fesoterodine
Oxybutynin

Antiemetics & Vestibular Disorders (Nausea & Dizziness)

Betahistine
Domperidone
Prochlorperazine

Psychostimulants / ADHD Medications

Atomoxetine

Glaucoma

Travoprost

Diuretics

Bendroflumethiazide
Co-amilofruse
Co-amilozide
Eplerenone
Indapamide

Source: Community Pharmacy England

Some 83 per cent of pharmacy teams said they have faced abuse or anger from patients due to a prescribed medicine being unavailable.

And 89 per cent of pharmacies said they were unable to dispense a medicine at least once a day last year due to supply issues.

At the time, Olivier Picard, chair of the NPA said: “It is deeply distressing to find patients who have travelled from pharmacy to pharmacy to find the medicines they need without success.

“Although medicine shortages are frustrating and worrying, we are clear that in some instances they pose a serious risk to patient safety.

“We’re urging the government to convene an emergency taskforce to bring together all parts of the supply chain to tackle this issue.

“As well as this, the government should amend legislation that prevents pharmacies from making simple substitutions to a prescription, where are a safe alternative is in stock.”

Dr Leyla Hannbeck, CEO of the Independent Pharmacies Association, added: “Community pharmacies across the country are experiencing high levels of medicines shortage, from common blood pressure medicines to cancer medicines.