READ MORE: Chickens could be fuelling surge in bug linked to bowel cancerSee more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy ZOE HARDY, HEALTH REPORTER Published: 10:25 BST, 28 July 2026 | Updated: 10:31 BST, 28 July 2026
Health chiefs have warned of a critical shortage of a life-saving blood pressure pill that's relied on by some six million Britons.Ramipril – which is prescribed three million times every month in the UK – is used to treat high blood pressure, kidney disease and heart failure. Patients who have suffered a heart attack may also be prescribed the drug to relax and widen their blood vessels, promoting blood flow. But health leaders have slapped the pills with a 'serious shortage protocol', meaning patients will be limited to one month's supply of pills at a time until October 30.In response, pharmacists have called for drug watchdogs to change official guidance that forbids them from offering patients alternatives without consulting their GP. 'Pharmacies are increasingly facing supply problems affecting everyday medicines on which millions rely every day, with some describing shortages as the worst they have ever experienced,' Olivier Picard, chair of the National Pharmacy Association, said. Ramipril is among the top ten most prescribed medications and is popular among patients with hypertension as it only needs to be taken once a day. Since the start of the year, blood pressure drugs have been in short supply, partly due to the war in the Middle East, triggering a series of serious shortage protocols. In April, the Department of Health and Social Care issued the first restriction on Ramipril 1.25 mg, which saw pharmacists limited to prescribing just 28 tablets at a time - despite most patients needing to take them for life. Ramipril - prescribed to around six million Britons every year - is used to treat high blood pressure, kidney disease and heart failureBy May, many pharmacies were struggling to meet this, triggering a second serious shortage protocol. Now, patients won't be able to get more than a month's supply until the end of October, from the NHS or private pharmacies. In the instance that a patient receives fewer pills than what was prescribed, they will not have to pay for their medication. Traditionally, the protocol does not allow pharmacists to prescribe an alternative medicine. Rather, they have to discuss the substitution with a patient's doctor, or refer them back to their GP. But the National Pharmacy Association is now calling on the government to allow pharmacists to make appropriate substitutions. Mr Picard added: '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. 'While the medicine supply chain is 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 have to turn them away. 'Fragility in the global supply chain is worsened by international instability and we need to get a grip on this chronic problem.' There have also been shortages of medicines for epilepsy, diabetes, antidepressants and painkiller medications including aspirin, codeine and co-codamol. The UK imports around 75 per cent of its drugs, and even those that come from Europe are often made from ingredients that are shipped from China, India, or the Middle East.The Government also spends less of its health budget on medicine per patient than many EU countries like France and Germany, making them a less attractive buyer.
