Many common medications are on the list including pregabalin, gabapentin, propranolol, rivaroxaban, tramadol, venlafaxine and warfarin
Some medications are in short supply(Image: Getty)
A pharmacist has warned a current drugs shortage is the “worst I’ve ever known” as supply issues hits dozens of common medicines. Some drugs used to treat conditions ranging from high blood pressure to diabetes are in short supply with some patients reportedly unable to get their usual prescription.
Graham Jones, who owns Shrivenham Pharmacy in Oxfordshire, has warned even medication like aspirin is harder to get. Other common medications include some apixaban, ramipril, metformin and pregabalin tablets.
He said: “A lot of very commonly used medications have gone into short supply in a very short period of time.” The pharmacist blamed a rise in global prices and government funding not keeping up with increases, reports the BBC.
The government says most medications are in good supply(Image: Ekaterina Goncharova via Getty Images)
A government spokesperson said it had “established processes to respond to sudden market price increases”. It added it would “help ensure pharmacies can continue to obtain medicines for patients”.
Patient Gillian-Ann Wordsworth, 84, has found her usual supply of apixaban that she takes to prevent and treat blood clots for her heart condition has been out of stock and was left without any to take. Instead she has now been prescribed and alternative medication.
She told the BBC: “They can’t get the Apixaban, so I was without medication all day Saturday. It’s all a bit worrying because after all, it is the heart at the end of the day.”
The NHS pays pharmacies a fixed price for the medicines it dispenses which they then have to buy for that amount of less. When the price is higher than that fixed amount paid by the NHS the medication goes on a government “price concessions list”.
In April this hit a record level of 210 named drugs on it. So far this month, as of May 20, 2026, it has 188 named medications on it.
The pharmacies will usually be paid the new price for the listed medications however the increased cost can still be a problem when prices rise suddenly. Mr Jones said this happens regularly giving the example of apixaban which they are currently getting paid around £3 when they were having to pay £6 to buy it in.
He explained this made it harder for pharmacies to buy sufficient stock. This then meant some patients might be left with a shortage of their medication.
A spokesperson at the Department of Health and Social Care told the BBC: “The vast majority of licensed medicines are in good supply and we are working hard to keep it that way. We have established processes to respond to sudden market price increases of medicines.
“This includes adjusting reimbursement prices based on current market conditions, which helps ensure that pharmacies can continue to obtain medicines for their patients.”
Some prescription drugs are costing more than the government pays(Image: georgeclerk via Getty Images)
The Community Pharmacy England said: “When community pharmacies cannot source a drug at or below the reimbursement price as set out in the Drug Tariff, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) can introduce a price concession at the request of Community Pharmacy England.”
It added: “For any drugs granted price concessions, contractors are automatically reimbursed at the new prices for that month. It set out the full list of 188 medications currently on the list. These are:
Alfuzosin 2.5mg tablets – pack size 60Acarbose 50mg tablets – pack size 90Apixaban 2.5mg tablets – pack size 60Apixaban 5mg tablets – pack size 56Aripiprazole 10mg tablets – pack size 28Aripiprazole 30mg tablets – pack size 28Aspirin 75mg dispersible tablets – pack size 28Aspirin 75mg dispersible tablets – pack size 100Aspirin 75mg gastro-resistant tablets – pack size 28Aspirin 75mg tablets – pack size 28Atomoxetine 10mg capsules – pack size 28Atomoxetine 25mg capsules – pack size 28Atomoxetine 40mg capsules – pack size 28Atomoxetine 60mg capsules – pack size 28Atomoxetine 80mg capsules – pack size 28Benzydamine 0.15% mouthwash sugar free – pack size 300Benzydamine 0.15% oromucosal spray sugar free – pack size 30Bimatoprost 300micrograms/ml / Timolol 5mg/ml eye drops 0.4ml unit dose preservative free – pack size 30Bisoprolol 1.25mg tablets – pack size 28Candesartan 2mg tablets – pack size 7Candesartan 32mg tablets – pack size 28Candesartan 4mg tablets – pack size 7Captopril 12.5mg tablets – pack size 56Captopril 25mg tablets – pack size 56Captopril 50mg tablets – pack size 56Carbocisteine 375mg capsules – pack size 120Carvedilol 12.5mg tablets – pack size 28Carvedilol 25mg tablets – pack size 28Carvedilol 3.125mg tablets – pack size 28Carvedilol 6.25mg tablets – pack size 28Cefalexin 125mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free – pack size 100Cefalexin 250mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free – pack size 100Chloramphenicol 0.5% eye drops – – pack size 10Chloramphenicol 1% eye ointment – pack size 4Chlordiazepoxide 10mg capsules – pack size 100Chlordiazepoxide 5mg capsules – pack size 100Chlorpromazine 25mg tablets – pack size 28Clarithromycin 125mg/5ml oral suspension – pack size 70Clarithromycin 250mg/5ml oral suspension – pack size 70Clobazam 10mg tablets – pack size 30Clomipramine 25mg capsules – pack size 28Clotrimazole 500mg pessaries – pack size 1Co-amilofruse 5mg/40mg tablets – pack size 28Co-amilozide 5mg/50mg tablets – pack size 28Co-careldopa 12.5mg/50mg tablets – pack size 90Co-codamol 15mg/500mg tablets – pack size 100Co-codamol 30mg/500mg capsules – pack size 100Co-codamol 30mg/500mg tablets – pack size 30Co-codamol 30mg/500mg tablets – pack size 100Co-codamol 8mg/500mg capsules – pack size 100Co-codamol 8mg/500mg capsules – pack size 32Co-codamol 8mg/500mg effervescent tablets – pack size 32Co-codamol 8mg/500mg effervescent tablets – pack size 100Codeine 15mg tablets – pack size 28Codeine 15mg tablets- pack size 100Co-trimoxazole 80mg/400mg tablets – pack size 28Diclofenac sodium 50mg gastro-resistant tablets – pack size 28Digoxin 62.5microgram tablets – pack size 28Dipyridamole 200mg modified-release capsules – pack size 60Domperidone 1mg/ml oral suspension sugar free – pack size 200Doxazosin 2mg tablets – pack size 28Doxazosin 4mg tablets – pack size 28Duloxetine 60mg gastro-resistant capsules – pack size 28Enalapril 2.5mg tablets – pack size 28Erythromycin 250mg gastro-resistant tablets – pack size 28Esomeprazole 20mg gastro-resistant tablets – pack size 28Esomeprazole 40mg gastro-resistant tablets – pack size 28Estradiol 10microgram pessaries – pack size 24Ferrous fumarate 210mg tablets – pack size 84Fesoterodine 4mg modified-release tablets – pack size 28Flecainide 100mg tablets – pack size 60Flecainide 50mg tablets – pack size 60Fluoxetine 10mg capsules – pack size 30Fluoxetine 20mg capsules — pack size 30Fluoxetine 20mg/5ml oral solution sugar free – pack size 70Gabapentin 50mg/ml oral solution sugar free – pack size 150Hydrocortisone 5mg tablets – pack size 30Hydroxychloroquine 200mg tablets – pack size 60Ibandronic acid 150mg tablets – pack size 1Ibandronic acid 50mg tablets – pack size 28Indometacin 25mg capsules – pack size 28Indometacin 50mg capsules – pack size 28Irbesartan 150mg tablets – pack size 28Irbesartan 75mg tablets – pack size 28Ivabradine 2.5mg tablets – pack size 56Labetalol 100mg tablets – pack size 56Labetalol 200mg tablets – pack size 56Lacidipine 4mg tablets – pack size 28Lacosamide 200mg tablets – pack size 56Lamotrigine 100mg tablets – pack size 56Lamotrigine 200mg tablets – pack size 56Lamotrigine 25mg tablets – pack size 56Lamotrigine 50mg tablets – – pack size 56Lansoprazole 15mg orodispersible tablets – pack size 28Lansoprazole 30mg orodispersible tablets – pack size 28Leflunomide 10mg tablets – pack size 30Leflunomide 20mg tablets – pack size 30Lercanidipine 10mg tablets – pack size 28Lercanidipine 20mg tablets – pack size 28Letrozole 2.5mg tablets – pack size 28Levetiracetam 100mg/ml oral solution sugar free – pack size 300Levothyroxine sodium 12.5microgram tablets – pack size 28Lofepramine 70mg tablets – pack size 56Loratadine 5mg/5ml oral solution – pack size 100Lymecycline 408mg capsules – pack size 28Lymecycline 408mg capsules – pack size 56Mebeverine 135mg tablets – pack size 100Mefenamic acid 500mg tablets – pack size 28Melatonin 2mg modified-release tablets – pack size 30Metformin 1g modified-release tablets – pack size 56Methenamine hippurate 1g tablets – pack size 60Midazolam 10mg/2ml solution for injection ampoules – pack size 10Mometasone 0.1% cream – pack size 30Mometasone 0.1% cream – pack size 100Morphine sulfate 10mg/1ml solution for injection ampoules – pack size 10Naftidrofuryl 100mg capsules – pack size 84Nicotine 4mg medicated chewing gum sugar free – pack size 96Nifedipine 10mg capsules – pack size 90Nifedipine 5mg capsules – pack size 90Nizatidine 150mg capsules – pack size 30Oxazepam 10mg tablets – pack size 28Oxazepam 15mg tablets – pack size 28Oxybutynin 10mg modified-release tablets – pack size 28Oxybutynin 2.5mg tablets – pack size 56Oxybutynin 5mg modified-release tablets – pack size 28Oxybutynin 5mg tablets – pack size 56Oxycodone 5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free – pack size 250Oxytetracycline 250mg tablets – pack size 28Perindopril erbumine 2mg tablets – pack size 30Perindopril erbumine 4mg tablets – pack size 30Perindopril erbumine 8mg tablets – pack size 30Phenobarbital 30mg tablets – pack size 28Pregabalin 100mg capsules – pack size 84Pregabalin 150mg capsules – pack size 56Pregabalin 200mg capsules – pack size 84Pregabalin 225mg capsules – pack size 56Pregabalin 25mg capsules – pack size 56Pregabalin 300mg capsules – pack size 56Pregabalin 50mg capsules – pack size 84Pregabalin 75mg capsules – pack size 56Prochlorperazine 3mg buccal tablets – pack size 50Promethazine hydrochloride 25mg tablets – pack size 56Propranolol 80mg modified-release capsules – pack size 28Propranolol 80mg tablets – pack size 56Prucalopride 1mg tablets – pack size 28Prucalopride 2mg tablets- pack size 28Pyridostigmine bromide 60mg tablets – pack size 200Quinine sulfate 300mg tablets – pack size 28Rabeprazole 10mg gastro-resistant tablets – pack size 28Rabeprazole 20mg gastro-resistant tablets – pack size 28Ramipril 1.25mg capsules – pack size 28Ramipril 1.25mg tablets – pack size 28Ramipril 10mg capsules – pack size 28Ramipril 2.5mg capsules – pack size 28Ramipril 5mg capsules – pack size 28Ranolazine 375mg modified-release tablets – pack size 60Ranolazine 500mg modified-release tablets – pack size 60Ranolazine 750mg modified-release tablets – pack size 60Rivaroxaban 20mg tablets – pack size 28Ropinirole 2mg tablets- pack size 28Rosuvastatin 10mg tablets – pack size 28Rosuvastatin 20mg tablets – pack size 28Rosuvastatin 40mg tablets – pack size 28Rosuvastatin 5mg tablets – pack size 28Sertraline 100mg tablets – pack size 28Sertraline 50mg tablets – pack size 28Sitagliptin 100mg tablets- pack size 28Sodium bicarbonate 500mg capsules – pack size 56Sotalol 40mg tablets – pack size 28Sotalol 80mg tablets – pack size 28Spironolactone 25mg tablets – pack size 28Sumatriptan 100mg tablets – pack size 6Sumatriptan 50mg tablets – pack size 6Tadalafil 5mg tablets – pack size 28Tibolone 2.5mg tablets – pack size 28Timolol 0.5% eye drops – – pack size 5Tolterodine 1mg tablets – pack size 56Tolterodine 2mg tablets – pack size 56Topiramate 100mg tablets – pack size 60Tramadol 50mg capsules – pack size 30Tramadol 50mg capsules – pack size 100Travoprost 40micrograms/ml eye drops – – pack size 2.5Trihexyphenidyl 2mg tablets – pack size 84Trimethoprim 50mg/5ml oral suspension sugar free – pack size 100Valsartan 80mg capsules – pack size 28Venlafaxine 37.5mg tablets- pack size 56Venlafaxine 75mg tablets – pack size 56Warfarin 1mg tablets – pack size 28
It added: “To date, this takes the total number of price concessions granted by DHSC for May 2026 to 188.”