Widely prescribed blood pressure drug in short supply

The widely prescribed blood pressure drug, ramipril 1.25 mg capsules, is being impacted by supply issues, and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicine supply notification.

According to the tier 2 – medium impact – notification, there are intermittent supply issues with ramipril 1.25mg capsules and they’re expected to last until the end of May 2026.

A serious shortage protocol (SSP) for ramipril 1.25mg capsules was issued on 22 April. This protocol allows community pharmacists to limit supply to one month, and provides for a reduced quantity of ramipril 1.25mg capsules to be supplied for less than the number of days prescribed on original prescription.

For supply in accordance with the SSP (SSP087), no prescription charges will be applicable for Ramipril 1.25mg capsules.

Ramipril 1.25mg and 2.5mg tablets and ramipril oral solution remain available but cannot support increased demand. Other low dose formulations of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin-II receptor blockers (ARBs) remain available, some of which can support increased demand

DHSC and NHS England have launched an online medicines supply tool, which provides up-to-date information about medicine supply issues.

This announcement follows the class 2 recall of a batch of ramipril 10 mg, which was issued on 20 April. This recall occurred after a packaging error led to blister packs of ramipril 5 mg being erroneously added to the cartons.

Ramipril is a widely used medication in the treatment of hypertension and heart failure, among other conditions. In the UK, ramipril is one of the most prescribed drugs, with over 29.3 million prescriptions in 2019 alone.