Pharmacies have issued a 'serious' warning regarding supply issues affecting everyday medicines after a shortage alert for ramipril, a common high blood pressure medication. The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has raised concerns as a serious shortage protocol has been issued for ramipril 1.25mg capsules, limiting patients to only one month's supply at a time.
What is Ramipril?
Ramipril is a medication used to control high blood pressure. It works by widening blood vessels, making it easier for the heart to pump blood around the body. It is available in tablet, capsule, or liquid form and is widely prescribed across the UK.
Impact of the Shortage
The NPA reports that approximately three million items of ramipril are prescribed every month in England alone. Olivier Picard, chairman of the NPA, expressed concern: "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 while alternative medicines exist, their supplies must be managed carefully by the government to avoid additional shortages. The NPA is urging the government to allow pharmacists to make substitutions to ramipril prescriptions, ensuring patients do not have to return to their GP for an alternative.
Broader Concerns
Pharmacies are increasingly facing supply problems affecting a wide range of everyday medicines. Picard noted: "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."
He attributed the fragility in the global supply chain to international instability and long-term under-funding of pharmacies, which has driven down medicine prices in the UK to unsustainable levels. The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment but has not yet responded.
