People taking the blood pressure medicine lacidipine are being urged to check their remaining supply and contact their pharmacist before running out, following a shortage notification issued on October 6.
The Department of Health and Social Care notification covers lacidipine 2mg and 4mg tablets, which are expected to remain out of stock until early November 2026.
Check your supply and contact your pharmacist
Other blood pressure medicines remain available, including lercanidipine, amlodipine and felodipine modified-release tablets, but any replacement must be selected and prescribed for the individual patient.
Sobia Qasim, Superintendent Pharmacist at Curely, said patients should seek help early rather than change how they take their tablets. “Finding out your usual medicine is unavailable can be worrying, particularly when you have taken it for years without a problem. The first step is to tell your pharmacist exactly what you take and how many tablets you have left.
“Do not try to make your supply last by taking it every other day or reducing your dose yourself. Your pharmacist and prescriber need to help you put a plan in place before there is a gap in treatment.”
Tell your pharmacy when your tablets will run out
Patients should check the medicine name and strength on their packaging, count their remaining tablets and contact their usual pharmacy if their next supply is due.
Sobia said: “'I have three tablets left’ gives your pharmacy and GP practice much more useful information than ‘I need another prescription’. Tell them when your next dose is due and whether you have already missed any.
“If your pharmacy cannot obtain your medicine, ask what needs to happen next and whether your prescriber needs to issue a replacement prescription. Make sure you know who is arranging this and when you should follow up.”
The NHS usually advises allowing five working days to request a repeat prescription and obtain the medicine. An identified shortage is a reason to discuss arrangements early, rather than assume the next prescription will be ready as usual.
Feeling well does not mean you can safely pause treatment
High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, so how someone feels is not a reliable guide to whether it is controlled. Lacidipine’s patient leaflet advises patients not to stop treatment unless instructed by their doctor.
Sobia said: “You might feel completely normal even when your blood pressure is high. Feeling well is not a reason to decide you can go without your tablets until supplies return. If you miss a dose, check the leaflet for your particular medicine or ask a pharmacist what to do. Do not double your next dose to catch up.”
A replacement needs clear instructions, not guesswork
The supply notification identifies alternatives that can support increased demand. However, it states that nifedipine modified-release tablets cannot support additional demand. Availability alone does not determine which medicine is appropriate for an individual.
Sobia said: “A different medicine may have a different strength and different instructions. You cannot compare two different drugs simply by looking at the number of milligrams on the box. Before leaving the pharmacy, make sure you understand which medicine is being replaced, when to take the first dose of the replacement and whether you need a follow-up blood pressure check.
“If you use a pill organiser or someone helps manage your medicines, make sure they know about the change too.”
Ask what to expect if your medicine changes
A replacement may look different and may have different side effects or instructions about when to take it.
For example, the NHS lists headaches, dizziness, flushing and swollen ankles among the possible side effects of amlodipine. Not everyone experiences them. Patients should speak to a pharmacist or doctor about side effects that bother them or do not go away.
Sobia said: “Ask your pharmacist to explain the new medicine rather than assuming everything will be the same. Read the leaflet and check anything you are unsure about. If you notice a new symptom after switching, tell your pharmacist or prescriber what happened and when it started. Do not assume you simply have to put up with it.”
If you have already run out, seek help that day
Patients who have run out should contact their pharmacy or GP practice promptly. If the practice is closed, its telephone message should explain how to access out-of-hours help.
In England, the NHS 111 online emergency prescription service can help people who have completely run out of a regular repeat medicine. Anyone who also has symptoms should call 111 instead. An emergency request does not guarantee that a medicine affected by a shortage will be available.
Sobia said: “Explain that your medicine is affected by a shortage, when you last took it and whether you have any symptoms. That helps the professional advising you work out the next step.
“The aim is to keep your treatment going safely, with a clear plan you understand.”
