NPA chairman Olivier Picard said: “We are concerned by this recent shortage, with a number of pharmacies being unable to order some strengths of ramipril as well as seeing the cost soar in recent weeks, in instances where stock can be found.
“Millions of patients rely on ramipril and although there are alternative medicines available, supplies of these must be managed carefully by the Government to ensure subsequent demand can be met.
“The Government should allow pharmacists to make substitutions to ramipril prescriptions to ensure patients do not have to go back to their GP to find an alternative.
“Pharmacies are increasingly facing supply problems affecting everyday medicines on which millions rely every day.
“Whilst the medicine supply chain is extremely complex, the rising problem of shortages across a wide range of medication is extremely worrying for patients and heartbreaking for pharmacists who go to great lengths to ensure they don’t turn them away.
“Fragility in the global supply chain is worsened by international instability and the fact that long term under-funding of pharmacies has driven down the price for medicines in the UK to unsustainable levels.”
The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.