Parkinson’s disease medicines in short supply, charity warns

Multiple medicines used to treat Parkinson’s disease are being affected by supply issues, warns major UK charity.

Parkinson’s UK has been informed by several pharmaceutical companies – Teva Pharmaceuticals, Aspire Pharma, Boehringer Ingelheim, Organon, Ennogen, and Britannia – that they are experiencing supply issues.

They recommend that pharmacists seek advice from their NHS pharmacy procurement specialist or the Specialist Pharmacy Service.

The affected products are:

Teva Pharmaceuticals

• Procyclidine 5 mg tablets x28 will experience supply issues until late June 2026.
• Erastig (rivastigmine) 13.3 mg/24 hours transdermal patch will experience supply issues until early June 2026.
• Ropinirole 0.25 mg tablets will experience supply issues early September 2026.
• Ropinirole 2 mg tablets will experience supply issues until early September 2026.

Aspire Pharma

• Repinex XL (ropinirole) 2 mg, 4mg, and 8mg extended release tablets x28 are currently experiencing supply issues.

Boehringer Ingelheim

• Mirapexin (pramipexole) 0.088 mg, 0.18 mg, 0.35 mg, and 0.7 mg tablets will experience supply issues until June 2026.
• Mirapexin (pramipexole) 0.26 mg, 0.52 mg, 1.05 mg, 1.57 mg, 2.1 mg, 2.62 mg, and 3.15 mg modified-release tablets will experience supply issues until June 2026.

Organon

• Sinemet CR 25 mg/100 mg tablets will experience supply issues until late April 2026.
• Sinemet 25 mg/100 mg tablets will experience supply issues until late April 2026.

Ennogen

• Stanek (Carbidopa/Entacapone/Levodopa) 31.25 mg, 200 mg, and 125 mg tablets x30 will experience supply issues until August 2026.
• Stanek (Carbidopa/Entacapone/Levodopa) 43.75 mg, 200 mg, and 175 mg tablets x30 will experience supply issues until early July 2026.

Britannia

• APO-go (apomorphine hydrochloride) pre-filled syringes are being discontinued and will no longer be available from September 2025. However, APO-go POD (apomorphine hydrochloride hemihydrate) 100mg/20ml solution for infusion cartridges remain available and can support increased demand.

The UK has some specific challenges, but the NHS is not alone in experiencing drug shortages. A recent European Association of Hospital Pharmacists survey reported that 89% of hospital pharmacists across Europe experience shortages that get in the way of delivering the best care.

The causes of medicine shortages are complex and can be due to a combination of factors, including manufacturing and distribution issues, medicines pricing, wider factors, like the impact of Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and other conflicts across the world.

Parkinson’s UK say they're monitoring how the conflict in the Middle East might affect medicine supplies, and, currently, there are no reported shortages as a result of the conflict.

Parkinson’s UK say they're working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care to make sure Parkinson’s medications remain available.