Medicines Shortages: Solutions for Empty Shelves - One Year On (March 2026)

Summary

In December 2024, in response to growing concerns about medicines shortages in the UK, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) published Medicines Shortages: Solutions for Empty Shelves. The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the causes of medicines shortages, their impact on patients and healthcare professionals, and what more could be done to mitigate and manage them.

The report was developed with healthcare professionals, patients and stakeholders across the medicines supply chain, its recommendations stressed the urgency of work to strengthen the UK’s resilience to medicines shortages, reduce pressure on healthcare teams and ensure patients can access the medicines they need.

This ‘one year on’ report provides an overview of progress in line with those recommendations, noting where improvements have occurred, where further work might accelerate progress, and highlighting areas of concern.