A pharmacy leader has issued an urgent warning to Brits as manufacturers are pulling products from the market.Hanna Geissler and Eilidh Farquhar Trainee Trends, Showbiz and Lifestyle Writer
09:46, 13 Feb 2026
A leading pharmacist has warned that the UK blood pressure medication shortage is only set to get worse.(Image: Getty Images)
Brits are being warned that the current shortage in blood pressure medicines is only set to get worse as chemists have struggled to acquire a reliable supply. This is due to more manufacturers considering taking their products off the UK market due to not receiving enough pay.
Blood pressure medication, such as ramipril and propranolol, are used to help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes as a result of high blood pressure. However, in recent months pharmacies have been unable to acquire enough medicines to make the patient demand.
With some Brits already struggling to get the medication they need, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association, Dr Leyla Hannabeck, has warned the Express that the situation is “getting worse”. This is a result of the UK not paying manufacturers enough for the generic medicines.
She explained: “The generic medicines are the most dispensed medicines in the UK, and the key reason for these shortages is the low prices of these medicines, some as low as 3p, which is way lower than a pack of Smarties.
“It is simply not viable for manufacturers to distribute their medicines in the UK because the Government has driven these prices so low, and the UK market is unattractive for these manufacturers, hence they reduce their supply.”
Dr Hannbeck also warned that during supply shortages, prices can suddenly jump up by a whopping 500 per cent. As a result, if prices rise above the amount the Government is willing to reimburse, this could leave many pharmacies out of pocket.
Pharmacys could be left out of pocket if the prices of common drugs go up.(Image: Getty Images)
She added: “For example, a pack of Aspirin, which is very commonly used, that was 69p has gone up to over £3 overnight leaving many pharmacies unable to afford buying the usual quantities.
“In addition, pharmacies only get compensation two months after they have dispensed the medicines which means that for two months they are left out of pocket and during a time when they are already struggling financially due to funding issues this has a significant impact on their cashflow.”
While this is a worrying time for patients, Dr Hannbeck insists that pharmacists are doing all they can to supply substitute medications where appropriate.
Highlighting how Brits can help in this shortage, she urges patients to write to their local MP to raise concerns and ask for their local pharmacies to be “adequately remunerated”.
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Dr Hannbeck urges: “The Government needs to listen because this is going to become very serious as it is becoming less affordable for manufacturers to supply these medicines at such cheap prices.
“We have repeatedly highlighted to the authorities that the medicines supply chain in the UK is at risk of collapsing.”
This comes as NHS Grampian warns that there is a nation-wide shortage of co‑codamol 30/500 tablets. This medication is used to relieve severe levels of pain that cannot be helped by standard painkillers.
The healthcare service has stated that supplies will be limited from early February 2026 until the summer. Additionally, patients cannot be simply switched over to other variations of the drug – capsules, soluble tablets or different strengths – as there is not enough to fully meet demand.
Due to these supply problems, patients may not receive their usual supply and a plan may be set into motion to slowly reduce the amount of co-codamol taken.