The 188 Common Medications Facing Supply Problems Across Newcastle

Thousands of patients across Newcastle could be affected by ongoing medicine supply pressures after 188 medications were added to the latest NHS price concession list.

The list includes several widely prescribed medicines used to treat common conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, anxiety, epilepsy and chronic pain. Among the medications affected are metformin, apixaban, ramipril, pregabalin, propranolol, rivaroxaban, tramadol, venlafaxine and warfarin.

While health officials say most medicines remain available, pharmacists across the UK continue to report difficulties sourcing some treatments. In certain cases, patients may experience delays, receive alternative brands or require changes to their prescriptions while supply issues are resolved.

For Newcastle residents who rely on repeat prescriptions to manage long-term health conditions, the situation is becoming an increasing concern.

Newcastle Pharmacies Under Growing Pressure.

Community pharmacies have become an essential part of healthcare delivery across Newcastle, helping patients access medicines, healthcare advice and treatment for minor illnesses without the need for a GP appointment.

However, pharmacists are increasingly facing challenges when attempting to source some commonly prescribed medications.

When medicines become difficult to obtain, pharmacy teams can spend considerable amounts of time contacting suppliers, checking stock availability and searching for alternative wholesalers. These additional pressures can create delays and increase workloads for already stretched pharmacy services.

Across Newcastle city centre and surrounding communities, pharmacists are continuing to work behind the scenes to ensure patients receive their prescriptions wherever possible, but ongoing supply difficulties are making that task increasingly complex.

Many pharmacy professionals say medicine shortages are no longer isolated incidents but have become a recurring challenge affecting a wide range of treatments.

Why Are Medicines Becoming Harder to Source?

Several factors are believed to be contributing to ongoing medicine shortages across the UK.

Global supply chain disruption remains a significant issue for pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors. Rising production costs, inflation, transportation challenges and increased worldwide demand for certain medications have also added pressure to the market.

In addition, pharmacies are reimbursed by the NHS according to fixed pricing structures. When medicine prices increase rapidly, pharmacies can sometimes struggle to obtain stock at prices that match reimbursement levels.

To address these situations, the Department of Health and Social Care can introduce temporary price concessions that increase reimbursement rates. However, pharmacy organisations have repeatedly warned that ongoing price volatility continues to create financial challenges for community pharmacies.

The result is a system that remains vulnerable whenever global medicine supply chains experience disruption.

Newcastle GP Surgeries Could See More Medication Reviews.

The impact of medicine shortages is not limited to pharmacies.

When certain medications become difficult to obtain, GP surgeries may need to review prescriptions and consider suitable alternatives for patients.

For many people, this process is straightforward. Alternative brands, different strengths or equivalent medications can often be prescribed safely under medical supervision.

However, prescription changes can create additional appointments, increase workloads for healthcare providers and cause understandable concern among patients who have been stable on the same treatment for years.

Across Newcastle, GP practices are already managing significant demand for appointments. Any increase in medication reviews linked to supply shortages could place further pressure on healthcare services.

Healthcare professionals continue to advise patients not to stop taking prescribed medicines without seeking medical guidance first.

The Medicines Most Likely to Affect Newcastle Residents.

Several medicines currently appearing on the NHS concession list are prescribed extensively throughout Newcastle and the wider North East.

These include:

Apixaban
Aspirin
Gabapentin
Metformin
Pregabalin
Propranolol
Ramipril
Rivaroxaban
Sertraline
Sitagliptin
Spironolactone
Tramadol
Venlafaxine
Warfarin

Many of these medicines are used daily by patients managing chronic health conditions.

Metformin is one of the UK's most widely prescribed diabetes medications. Ramipril is commonly used to manage high blood pressure and heart conditions. Apixaban, rivaroxaban and warfarin are frequently prescribed to reduce the risk of blood clots and strokes.

Mental health treatments including sertraline, venlafaxine and fluoxetine also feature on the list, alongside neurological medications such as pregabalin, gabapentin, levetiracetam and lamotrigine.

While inclusion on the concession list does not necessarily mean a medicine is unavailable, it can indicate that pharmacies are facing difficulties obtaining stock or paying significantly increased prices.

North East Patients Urged Not to Stockpile Medicines.

Healthcare experts are encouraging patients across Newcastle and the North East not to panic buy or stockpile medication.

Ordering significantly more medicine than required can place additional pressure on supply chains and make shortages worse for other patients.

Instead, patients are advised to order repeat prescriptions in good time, maintain contact with their local pharmacy and seek advice promptly if they encounter difficulties obtaining medication.

Most pharmacies remain able to source medicines through alternative suppliers, although some delays may occur.

Industry professionals stress that many medicine shortages are temporary and often improve once additional stock becomes available.

Government Monitoring Ongoing Supply Challenges.

The Department of Health and Social Care says the vast majority of licensed medicines remain available throughout the UK and that systems are in place to respond when supply or pricing pressures emerge.

Price concessions are designed to help pharmacies continue obtaining medicines when market costs increase unexpectedly.

However, community pharmacy organisations continue to argue that more support may be needed to help pharmacies manage the financial impact of ongoing supply disruption.

With hundreds of medicines appearing on concession lists during recent months, the issue remains a significant concern for healthcare providers and patients alike.

Full List of Medicines on the NHS Concession List.

The 188 medicines currently included on the May 2026 NHS concession list cover a wide range of treatments.

A.

Acarbose, Alfuzosin, Apixaban, Aripiprazole, Aspirin, Atomoxetine.

B.

Benzydamine, Bimatoprost and Timolol combination eye drops, Bisoprolol.

C.

Candesartan, Captopril, Carbocisteine, Carvedilol, Cefalexin, Chloramphenicol, Chlordiazepoxide, Chlorpromazine, Clarithromycin, Clobazam, Clomipramine, Clotrimazole, Co-amilofruse, Co-amilozide, Co-careldopa, Co-codamol, Codeine, Co-trimoxazole.

D.

Diclofenac, Digoxin, Dipyridamole, Domperidone, Doxazosin, Duloxetine.

E.

Enalapril, Erythromycin, Esomeprazole, Estradiol.

F.

Ferrous fumarate, Fesoterodine, Flecainide, Fluoxetine.

G.

Gabapentin.

H.

Hydrocortisone, Hydroxychloroquine.

I.

Ibandronic acid, Indometacin, Irbesartan, Ivabradine.

L.

Labetalol, Lacidipine, Lacosamide, Lamotrigine, Lansoprazole, Leflunomide, Lercanidipine, Letrozole, Levetiracetam, Levothyroxine, Lofepramine, Loratadine, Lymecycline.

M.

Mebeverine, Mefenamic acid, Melatonin, Metformin, Methenamine hippurate, Midazolam, Mometasone, Morphine sulfate.

N.

Naftidrofuryl, Nicotine gum, Nifedipine, Nizatidine.

O.

Oxazepam, Oxybutynin, Oxycodone, Oxytetracycline.

P.

Perindopril, Phenobarbital, Pregabalin, Prochlorperazine, Promethazine, Propranolol, Prucalopride, Pyridostigmine.

Q.

Quinine sulfate.

R.

Rabeprazole, Ramipril, Ranolazine, Rivaroxaban, Ropinirole, Rosuvastatin.

S.

Sertraline, Sitagliptin, Sodium bicarbonate, Sotalol, Spironolactone, Sumatriptan.

T.

Tadalafil, Tibolone, Timolol, Tolterodine, Topiramate, Tramadol, Travoprost, Trihexyphenidyl, Trimethoprim.

V.

Valsartan, Venlafaxine.

W.

Warfarin.

Why This Matters for Newcastle.

Although medicine shortages are affecting patients across the UK, the issue has a direct impact on Newcastle residents who depend on regular prescriptions to manage ongoing health conditions.

From diabetes and cardiovascular disease to mental health conditions and chronic pain, many of the medicines affected are prescribed every day by GP surgeries throughout the city.

As pharmacies, healthcare providers and NHS services continue working to minimise disruption, patients are being encouraged to stay informed, order prescriptions early and seek professional advice if problems arise.

For many Newcastle residents, ensuring reliable access to medication remains one of the most important healthcare issues affecting daily life in 2026.

Join the Conversation.

Have you experienced delays obtaining prescriptions from a Newcastle pharmacy recently?