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.
Naloxone (Nyxoid®) 1.8mg/0.1ml nasal spray unit dose 29th August 2024
Isosorbide mononitrate 60mg modified-release tablets and capsules 27th August 2024
Methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets 23rd August 2024
Naltrexone 50mg tablets 23rd August 2024
Norethisterone (Noriday®) 350microgram tablets 23rd August 2024
Creon® Micro Pancreatin 60.12mg gastro-resistant granules 23rd August 2024
Cefalexin 500mg tablets 8th August 2024
Ramipril 2.5mg tablets 7th August 2024
Desmopressin (DDAVP®) 4 micrograms/1ml solution for injection ampoules 1st August 2024
NATIONAL PATIENT SAFETY ALERT – SHORTAGE OF HUMAN ALBUMIN 4.5% AND 5% DOSE VIALS 31st July 2024
NATIONAL PATIENT SAFETY ALERT – SHORTAGE OF KAY-CEE-L® (POTASSIUM CHLORIDE 375MG/5ML)(POTASSIUM CHLORIDE 5MMOL/5ML) SYRUP 30th July 2024
Carbamazepine 100mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free (Accord) 18th July 2024
Quetiapine 150mg, 200mg, 300mg tablets UPDATE 17th July 2024
Ipratropium bromide 250micrograms/1ml and 500micrograms/2ml nebuliser liquid unit dose vials 15th July 2024
Pabrinex® (Vitamins B and C) intravenous and intramuscular high potency solution for injection ampoules 28th June 2024
Disopyramide (Rythmodan Retard®) 250mg modified-release tablets and disopyramide (Rythmodan®) 100mg capsules. updated 1st July 2024
Flixotide® (fluticasone) 125micrograms/dose and 250micrograms/dose Evohaler® 20th June 2024
Humalog® (insulin lispro) 100units/ml solution for injection 10ml vials 18th June 2024
Triamcinolone acetonide suspension for injection vials (Kenalog® 40mg/1ml and Adcortyl® 50mg/5ml) 18th June 2024
Erythromycin 250mg gastro-resistant tablets 12th June 2024
Imiquimod (Aldara®) 5% cream 5th June 2024
Co-trimoxazole 40mg/200mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free 5th June 2024
Clomethiazole 192mg capsules 5th June 2024
Somatropin (NutropinAq®) 10mg/2ml solution for injection cartridges, Somatropin (Humatrope®) 6mg, 12mg and 24mg powder and solvent for solution for injection cartridges – UPDATE 3rd June 2024
Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) 29th May 2024
Memantine (Valios®) 10mg and 20mg orodispersible tablets sugar free 30th May 2024
Clarithromycin 125mg/5ml and 250mg/5ml oral suspensions 24th May 2024
Salbutamol 2.5mg/2.5ml and 5mg/2.5ml nebuliser liquid unit dose vials 24th May 2024
Nortriptyline 10mg/5ml and 25mg/5ml oral solution sugar-free 24th May 2024
Humulin® S (insulin soluble human) 100units/ml solution for injection 10ml vials 21st May 2024
Tegretol® (carbamazepine) 100mg/5ml liquid 17th May 2024
Humalog® (insulin lispro) 100units/ml solution for injection 10ml vials 10th May 2024
Sulfadiazine silver (Flamazine®) 1% cream 8th May 2024
Daktacort® (hydrocortisone 1% / miconazole 2%) cream – updated 8th May 2024
Lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse®) capsules – updated 8th May 2024
Mesalazine (Asacol®) 400mg MR gastro-resistant tablets 26th April 2024
Naloxegol (Moventig®) 12.5mg and 25mg tablets 23rd April 2024
Phenobarbital 15mg tablets (Accord) 17th April 2024
Carbamazepine 100mg and 200mg tablets 17th April 2024
Cefalexin 125mg/5ml and 250mg/5ml oral suspension 17th April 2024
Diazepam 10mg/2.5ml rectal solution tubes 28th March 2024
Guanfacine (Intuniv®) 2mg and 3mg modified-release tablets 28th March 2024
Isosorbide mononitrate (Monomil® XL) 60mg modified-release tablets 26th March 2024
Levemir InnoLet® (insulin detemir) 100units/ml solution for injection 3ml pre-filled disposable devices 21st March 2024
Insulatard® InnoLet® (insulin isophane human) 100units/ml suspension for injection 3ml pre-filled disposable devices 21st March 2024
Semaglutide (Ozempic®) – Dulaglutide (Trulicity®) – Liraglutide (Victoza®) 19th March 2024
Jext® 300micrograms/0.3ml (adrenaline 1 in 1000) solution for injection auto-injector pen 14th March 2024
Prochlorperazine (Stemetil®) 12.5mg/ml solution for injection ampoules 12th March 2024
Salbutamol 2.5mg/2.5ml nebuliser liquid unit dose vials 6th March 2024
Fiasp® FlexTouch® (insulin aspart) 100units/ml sol for inj 3ml pre-filled pens 5th March 2024
NATIONAL PATIENT SAFETY ALERT – SHORTAGE OF SALBUTAMOL 2.5MG/2.5ML AND 5MG/2.5ML NEBULISER LIQUID UNIT DOSE VIALS 27th Feb 2024
Midazolam (Epistatus®) 5mg/0.5ml oromucosal sol pre-filled oral syringes 27th Feb 2024
Epilim® (sodium valproate) syrup 200mg/5ml 26th Feb 2024
Creon® 25,000 gastro-resistant capsules 26th Feb 2024
Salbutamol 2.5mg/2.5ml and 5mg/2.5ml nebuliser liquid unit dose vials 14th February 2024
Formoterol (Oxis® 6 Turbohaler) 6micrograms/dose dry powder inhaler 12th February 2024
Co-trimoxazole 40mg/200mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free and Co-trimoxazole 80mg/400mg/5ml oral suspension – Update 12th February 2024
Flixotide® (fluticasone) 50 micrograms/dose Evohaler 8th February 2024
Nadolol 80mg tablets 8th February 2024
Oxcarbazepine 150mg and 300mg tablets 8th February 2024
Methadone 5mg tablets 29th January 2024
Norethisterone (Noriday®) 350microgram tablets 25th January 2024
Tegretol® (carbamazepine) 200mg and 400mg prolonged release tablets 11th January 2024
Isosorbide mononitrate modified release 4th January 2024
NATIONAL PATIENT SAFETY ALERT – SHORTAGE OF GLP-1 RECEPTOR AGONISTS (UPDATE) 4th January 2024