Shortages Information

For Shortages Guidance January 2023 click here

The DHSC and NHSE/I Medicines Supply Tool is the key resource for all information on medicines supply issues. The link to the website is Medicines Supply Tool – SPS – Specialist Pharmacy Service – The first stop for professional medicines advice

To access the Tool, you will be required to register with the SPS website using your “hscni.net” email. You can then choose either “Community Pharmacist” or “General Medical Practitioner” under Role, and then “Other” under Organisation Type.

In the “Tool”, you will note that each medicines’ supply issue is categorised by an “impact tier”. Full information on each of these impact tiers is available at NHS England » A Guide to Managing Medicines Supply and Shortages

For the majority of tier 2, medium impact, and tier 3, high impact, a Medicines Supply Notification will be issued by DHSC and in turn, DHNI. These are listed below

For tier 1, low impact shortages, the SPS website should be accessed in order to understand how long the shortage is likely to last and to review information on alternative medications which might be available.

The Medicines Supply Tool has a search function allowing you to easily search for a particular medicine.

Parallel Exports:

A list of medicines that should not be parallel exported is available at Medicines that you cannot export from the UK or hoard – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and will be updated regularly. Medicines will be added to the list if they are needed to meet the needs of UK patients, and where parallel exporting leads, may lead, or contributes to a shortage.

Parallel export of a medicine on the list is considered a breach of regulation 43(2) of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and a contravention of the wholesale dealer licence, and may lead to regulatory action by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) which could include immediate suspension of the wholesale dealer licence.

Propranolol 80mg modified release capsules and 160mg modified release capsules 10th November 2025

Antimicrobial Agents Used in Tuberculosis (TB) Treatment 23rd October 2025

AVAILABILITY OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS USED IN TUBERCULOSIS (TB) TREATMENT WITHIN PRIMARY CARE 21st Oct 2025

Amiodarone 100mg and 200mg tablets 20th October 2025

Mometasone (Asmanex Twisthaler®) 200micrograms/dose dry powder and 400micrograms/dose dry powder inhalers 20th October 2025

Dalivit® Oral Drops 15th Oct 2025

Exenatide (Bydureon® BCise®) 2mg/0.85ml prolonged-release suspension for injection pre-filled pens 15th Oct 2025

Admelog® (insulin lispro) 100units/ml solution for injection 3ml cartridges / 3ml pre-filled pens / 10ml vials 18th September 2025

Repaglinide 500microgram,1mg and 2mg tablets 27th August 2025

AVAILABILITY OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS USED IN TUBERCULOSIS (TB) TREATMENT WITHIN PRIMARY CARE 26th Aug 2025

Levemir® (insulin detemir) FlexPen® 100units/ml solution for injection 3ml pre-filled pens and Levemir® Penfill 100units/ml solution for injection 3ml cartridges 14th August 2025

Estradiol (Progynova^® TS) 50mcg/24hours and 100mcg/24hours transdermal patches 6th August 2025