Community Pharmacies in Northern Ireland warn 100 medicines in short supply including co-codamol and aspirin
Community pharmacists have warned that difficulties in sourcing the painkiller co-codamol highlights the current "fundamental risk" to Northern Ireland medicine security - with over 100 medicines now in short supply.
The organisation warned of "an imminent risk to the supply of essential medicines in Northern Ireland".
Representatives from Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI) warned MLAS on the Assembly All Party Group on Community Pharmacy this week of a growing shortage of many common medicines including the painkiller, co-codamol 30/500mg - which it said is likely to extend for several months.
CPNI says pharmacies may be forced to ration medicines, potentially affecting 50 to 100 patients per pharmacy.
Shortages are also applying to aspirin, it added, warning that pharmacies are typically trying to source over 100 common medicines in short supply.
But the Department of Health (DOH) responded that there are currently over 14,000 licensed medicines in the UK and "the majority of these medicines are in good supply".
Gerard Greene, Chief Executive of CPNI, said: “We have pharmacy teams reporting back to us daily that they are seeing growing numbers of other commonly prescribed medicines also in short supply."
He appealed to the health minister to prioritise support for the sector "so that pharmacies can pay medicine wholesalers".
He added: “The stability of the medicines supply chain, while it is a UK wide issue, is of particular concern to us locally because of Northern Ireland’s small market and additional logistical costs compared to GB."
If this is not addressed, he said, there is a real risk that NI will become "a lower-priority market for medicine wholesalers, with serious implications for patient safety".
CPNI says the DOH estimates the cost of funding community pharmacies is £158m per year but CPNI says it is actually £185m.
A variable figure is “clawed back” from pharmacies every month - last year around £25m, it added.
A Westminster briefing paper in September found that UK medicine supply problems can be caused by manufacturing or distribution problems and increased demand for medicines.
In 2024 key causes were shortages of raw materials and packaging materials used in medicines production. Also significant are "the conflict in Ukraine, the covid-19 pandemic and Brexit," it added.
Alliance Health spokesperson Danny Donnelly MLA, chair of the APG on Community Pharmacy, said NI is particularly exposed due to long-term issues with funding of community pharmacies and reduced access to wholesalers.
"The Minister and his department need to get to grips with this and ensure that community pharmacies are adequately funded so that patients can continue to have access to necessary medications," he said.
The DOH responded that medicines are manufactured as part of a highly complex global industry, meaning disruptions can occur from time to time for a variety of reasons, such as manufacturing issues or increased global demand.
"If there is a supply disruption affecting a medicine, there are well-established tools and processes that can be applied to ensure that patients have access to clinically appropriate treatments," it added.
DOH is aware of a current UK supply issue for co-codamol 30/500mg tablets, with resupply expected in June 2026.
The Department is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and the health service here to ensure that patients can continue to access appropriate treatments that meet their needs, it added.