The UK has experienced its most severe drug shortages in four years, with Brexit being a significant factor in the scarcity of medications, according to official figures. In the past year, drug companies informed the Department of Health and Social Care about disruptions to supply a record 1,938 times, the highest since 2021. Medications for treating epilepsy and cystic fibrosis are among those that pharmacists struggle to obtain, posing risks to patients’ health.

These figures are revealed in a report by the Nuffield Trust health thinktank, which obtained the data under freedom of information laws. The number of supply disruptions dropped after 2021, but rose sharply last year to 1,938.

Mark Dayan, a policy analyst at the Nuffield Trust, believes this ongoing wave of medicine shortages is a pressing concern, affecting patients relying on medications such as those for epilepsy and cystic fibrosis. He attributes the UK’s worsening situation compared to the rest of Europe to Brexit.

Dayan points out that the UK has seen the lowest rise in medicine imports among G7 countries since 2010 and a decline in EU imports, indicating a shift in medicine supply chains away from the UK. Additionally, there has been a significant drop in UK drug exports to the European Economic Area since the Brexit vote in 2016.

The National Pharmacy Association warns of a growing crisis in medicine supply, with all surveyed pharmacies reporting difficulties in dispensing prescriptions due to drug shortages. Experts urge ministers to allow pharmacists to provide safe alternatives to patients when their usual medication is unavailable.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson acknowledges the global supply challenges but emphasizes the government’s efforts to strengthen domestic resilience by investing in medicine manufacturing and collaborating with the NHS and international partners to strengthen supply chains.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/22/brexit-key-factor-worst-uk-drug-shortages-in-four-years