Why Aspirin Prices are Rising Amid a UK Supply Shortage

The UK is witnessing a country-wide shortage shortage of aspirin, with pharmacies being unable to meet demand and prices being at an all-time high.

The medication is seen as vital in the preventing of strokes and heart attacks in vulnerable patients, but supply shortages has resulted in the UK government adding it to its export ban list.

Manufacturing delays are being cited as a primary source for these delays, with pharmacists having to ration stock.

A medication shortage

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) – which represents 6,000 pharmacies – and the Independent Pharmacies Association, representing more than 5,000 members, have both reported issues in sourcing the drug.

Aspirin is a pain reliever which can treat daily aches such as headaches, fever, colds or period pain, but it can also be used in treating heart attacks. The medication thins the blood and improves blood flow to the heart, so it is recommended to patients waiting for an ambulance when suspecting a heart attack. It can also be prescribed to those who have suffered strokes as it prevents clotting.

As a result, the shortage of this drug is a concern for patient safety. Due to the shortage, the NPA has confirmed that pharmacists are having to ration existing stock and prioritise patients with emergency prescriptions or severe heart conditions. 

Olivier Picard, chair of the NPA, says: “We’re concerned about reports of pharmacies being unable to order in stocks of aspirin and the implications this might have for the patients they serve.

“For those pharmacies that can get hold of supply, costs will far exceed what they will be reimbursed by the NHS, yet more signs of a fundamentally broken pharmacy contract in desperate need of reform by the government.”

Low-dose 75mg aspirin is the main concern for pharmacists, though all types are affected. According to a snap survey of 540 UK pharmacies, the NPA found that 86% reported being unable to supply aspirin to patients the previous week. Moreover, several pharmacies have had to make the decision to stop over-the-counter sales for the drug.

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Rise in prices

The manufacturing delays are resulting in major price hikes for the drug, affecting both the consumer and and the pharmacy itself. Due to the shortages, the price of aspirin has increased. Suppliers which have been able to get aspirin have raises the prices, meaning that many pharmacies cannot afford to purchase these products for their customers.

A single packet of 75mg dispersible tablets were £0.18 (US$0.25) last year, but are now facing prices of £3.90 (US$5.36). According to the NPA, the NHS will only reimburse pharmacies £2.18 (US$3) a packet, meaning that each time it is dispensed, the average pharmacy will lose out on £1.72 (US$2.37).

Some warn that this is a part of a wider, governmental issue.

"These low stock levels are partly due to manufacturing delays, but also because pharmacies are simply unable to order the quantities they need," explains Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association.

"The reality is that the prices paid for many medicines by the NHS are so low that manufacturers often prioritise supplying other countries instead, leaving the UK pushed to the back of the queue.

“When limited stock becomes available then the prices shoot up to levels that become unaffordable for pharmacies to order and they are left severely out of pocket. It is vital that the government urgently reviews how medicines are reimbursed to pharmacies, otherwise these shortages will only worsen."

Mitigating risk

Though reasons behind manufacturing delays and medication shortages are unclear, the demand for change is loud. These shortages are not uncommon, pointing towards a wider medication supply chain issue.

"Suppliers have said that they are having difficulty in manufacturing, it could be due to a difficulty in obtaining raw materials from Europe but we haven't been told the specifics but we know there is certainly an issue around getting supplies into the UK," explains Mo Kolia, the superintendent pharmacist at Knights in Redditch and Bromsgrove.

"We had this problem last year with penicillin, it's an ongoing issue but it's worsening. We've just been informed that another anti-coagulation medication, apixaban, is now going out of stock."

According to Leyla, the UK government needs to make some major structural changes in order to prevent medicine supplies from becoming a reoccurring issue. In July 2025, the government stated it would invest £520m (US$715m) into life sciences manufacturing.

This should allow the UK to manufacture more medicines and medical technologies in-country, rather than relying on importing from elsewhere. By investing in UK manufacturing supply chains, there will be a more stable medicines market with less supply chain disruptions.

To protect the minimal supplies the UK has left, the UK government has added aspirin to its export ban lift, meaning its stocks will remain in-country. Protections, however, need to run deeper in order to prevent these issues arising in the future.

A wider concern

This does resemble issues outside of the UK, as healthcare systems around the world face issues with visibility. A survey which looked at US-based hospital executives, pharmacy and supply chain leaders found that visibility remains poor, despite cost volatility and drug shortages intensify.

The survey, undertaken by Tecsys Inc., revealed that only 20% of healthcare leaders report full real-time visibility across inventory. Alongside this, 79% says that drug shortages have been responsible for the majority of disruption to pharmacy operations over the last two years.

This shows that there is an underlying visibility gap across worldwide healthcare systems, particularly when it comes to drug supply chains.