iNews, Express
The Government has added aspirin to its export ban list to protect supplies for UK patients, with media reports highlighting concerns of ‘serious and growing’ shortages from the Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA).
Painkiller drugs shortages hit pharmacies | iNews
Essential medicines alert as pharmacies warn of ‘serious and growing’ shortages | Express
Community Pharmacy England has long been warning of the impact of medicines shortages on patients and community pharmacies across England, with pharmacies’ ability to manage these constrained by cashflow and reimbursement pressures.
In response to press queries, we gave the following comment.
Our Director of Research and Insights James Davies said:
“Medicine shortages, such as the issues currently affecting the supply of aspirin, remain a significant concern for both patients and community pharmacies. Our 2025 Medicines Supply Report found that one in four pharmacy teams spend more than two hours each day sourcing alternatives for their patients, diverting attention from other essential tasks and increasing workload pressures.
Due to sterling work by community pharmacies, the costs of medicines in the UK have been driven down over time. Whilst positive for the NHS, this has in turn driven fragility in the medicines market, making it more brittle and less resilient.
As shortages continue to take a toll on patients and pharmacy teams across the country, Government and the NHS must intervene now to stabilise the medicines market, tackle supply chain disruptions, and improve access to essential medications for patients. Community Pharmacy England continues to pressure DHSC to deliver price concessions for pharmacies when the system is disrupted and we urge pharmacy owners to continue reporting price issues to us, so we can take action on their behalf.”
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Further information
Medicines that cannot be parallel exported from the UK or hoarded