Ramipril capsules, all four strengths, in limited supply to end October
7 September 2026
The Department of Health and Social Care issued Medicine Supply Notification MSN/2026/043 on 7 September 2026 for ramipril 1.25mg, 2.5mg, 5mg and 10mg capsules. It is a Tier 2, medium impact notice, and Community Pharmacy England published it the same day.
What the notification says
The notification states that ramipril capsules in all four strengths are in limited supply until the end of October 2026. It gives no more specific resupply date and points readers to the Medicines Supply Tool for any changes. That tool needs an NHS email address.
Ramipril tablets in the same strengths remain available, but the notification says they cannot support an uplift in demand. It also says routine switching to other ACE inhibitors or ARBs is not recommended, because usage of those medicines is significantly lower than ramipril and switching could compromise their own supply chains. The notification reminds readers that the April 2026 notification and Serious Shortage Protocol for ramipril 1.25mg capsules remain in effect. Shortages not listed on the SPS website can be reported through the shortage reporting tool.
The 1.25mg protocol
NHSBSA lists SSP087 for ramipril 1.25mg capsules. It started on 22 April 2026, was amended on 23 July 2026 and currently runs to 30 October 2026. The protocol applies where the capsules are available but the prescription is for more than one month's supply. The original SSP087 document sets the quantity supplied at one month's supply of the prescribed medicine.
How it sits with other signals
Ramipril, all strengths and all forms, has a restriction date of 8 August 2026 on the UK list of medicines that cannot be parallel exported. GOV.UK logged the addition in its 7 August update. GOV.UK states that exporting or hoarding a listed medicine breaches regulation 43(2) of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.
From our own trade desk, the 10mg strength was tight for several weeks before any notification covered it. This one now covers all four capsule strengths. Tablets are the obvious fallback, and the notification says they cannot carry the extra demand either, which is why the advice against routine switching is the line to read twice.
The full notification is on the Community Pharmacy England page for MSN/2026/043, and the protocol dates are on the NHSBSA serious shortage protocols page.