The situation has been explained
People taking a common blood pressure medication have been warned of “serious shortages” in the UK.
Tracking website MediWatch, which monitors DHSC and NHS England data daily, said that a “Serious Shortage Protocol is active for Ramipril 1.25mg capsules in the current official data”. It advised people to ask their pharmacist what the active SSP permits were before accepting any alternative quantity, strength or formulation.
It said: “Ramipril 1.25mg capsules are in shortage across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) issued Serious Shortage Protocol SSP087 on 22 April 2026 (and extended it past 29 May 2026), allowing community pharmacies to limit dispensing to a maximum of one month’s supply per prescription — even if your prescription is normally for two or three months. No prescription charges apply when supplied under this protocol.
“Ramipril 1.25mg and 2.5mg tablets, plus the oral solution, remain available, but the DHSC has warned they cannot meet increased demand if all capsule patients switch to these forms. If you take 1.25mg capsules, you should contact your pharmacist about tablet alternatives now — before stocks of those run low too.
“Separately, a Class 2 recall was issued on 20 April 2026 for one batch of Ramipril 10mg capsules (manufactured by Crescent Pharma) due to a packaging error — some cartons contained 5mg blister strips instead of 10mg. This is a safety issue, not a supply issue, but it adds pressure to the overall Ramipril supply chain.”
It went on to explain that Ramipril is an ACE inhibitor — one of the most commonly prescribed blood pressure medications in the UK.
It added: “Over 35 million Ramipril items were dispensed in England alone during 2025, making it one of the top ten prescribed drugs in the country.
“It belongs to a family of medicines that all work in a similar way, but Ramipril is particularly favoured because it has a long half-life (stays in your body for a while) and can be taken once daily.”
MediWatch also said that another blood pressure medication was under a “medium” alert, saying that “Propranolol modified-release capsules are present in current active official shortage data”. It added that Propranolol 40mg and 80mg immediate-release tablets remained available and “can support increased demand”.
Propranolol is a beta-blocker used for high blood pressure, anxiety, migraine prevention and essential tremor, MediWatch said, adding that it was “the modified-release (slow-acting) capsules that are affected — the immediate-release tablet versions remain fully available. Your GP may need to adjust your dosing schedule if switching from MR to immediate-release formulations, as MR capsules are typically taken once daily while IR tablets are usually taken two or three times a day”.
