What causes medicines shortages — the supply chain explained

Often, the first pharmacists hear of a medicine shortage is when an order can’t be fulfilled and put into patients’ hands. Shortages can be caused by issues throughout the supply chain — from manufacturing, logistics or “economic” shortages to price wars or a lack of stock visibility within the UK.

Scroll down the page to explore what can go wrong at each stage of the supply chain, examples of recent issues and what could be done to fix them.

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37. Robertson, J. The Pharmaceutical Journal. UKHSA says 20,000 meningitis vaccines for private purchase will be available to pharmacies within 48 hours [Internet]. London: Royal College of Pharmacy; Published 19 March 2026 [Accessed 14 August 2026] Available from: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news/ukhsa-says-20000-meningitis-vaccines-for-private-purchase-will-be-available-to-pharmacies-within-48-hours
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40. Robertson, J. The Pharmaceutical Journal. Hospitals owe wholesalers £43m in unpaid medicines bills [Internet]. London: Royal College of Pharmacy; Published 2 July 2026 [Accessed 14 August 2026]. Available from: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news/hospitals-owe-wholesalers-43m-in-unpaid-medicines-bills
41. Robertson, J. The Pharmaceutical Journal. Call for government support as record price concessions hit 250 mark [Internet]. London: Royal College of Pharmacy; Published 1 July 2026 [Accessed 13 August 2026]. Available from: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news/call-for-government-support-as-record-price-concessions-hit-250-mark
42. Robertson, J. The Pharmaceutical Journal. Discussions on community pharmacy reform to begin before end of June [Internet]. London: Royal College of Pharmacy; Published 9 June 2026 [Accessed 13 August 2026]. Available from: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news/discussions-on-community-pharmacy-reform-to-begin-before-end-of-june