Warning to anyone who takes common painkiller as shortage until June

Concern is growing among pharmacists after a shortage alert was issued for co-codamol until June 2026. The national shortage impacts co‑codamol 30/500 tablets, and supplies will be limited from early February 2026 until the summer, according to NHS Grampian.

Capsules, soluble tablets or different strengths of the drug, which is used to manage severe pain, cannot support an uplift in demand, according to the board, so patients may have to be offered substitutes.

“This is a distressing shortage,” Olivier Picard, Chair of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), told The Sun.

“Where pharmacies have supplies, they will be doing all they can to manage them to ensure patients get the medication they need. »

The alert, which was issued in January, is listed as a ‘tier three high impact’ case on Community Pharmacy England, which means it will be escalated to the Medicines Shortage Response Group (MSRG), which oversees and decides on a plan moving forward.  

Patients may be offered paracetamol instead, different types of co-codamol, or advised to gradually reduce the amount of co-codamol they take, replacing doses with paracetamol. Patients must speak to their pharmacist or doctor first before reducing their dosage.

NHS Grampian noted that reducing the dosage may benefit patients, as taking co-codamol long-term is not recommended. Long-term use can lead to tolerance, side effects or dependence, leading to symptoms when you cut down.

Normally, people reduce by one tablet at one dose every 1–2 weeks, but the board stated that due to the supply problems, they may need to reduce more quickly, for example, by one tablet at one dose every 3–7 days.

It highlighted that some people may notice flu-like symptoms, sweating or feeling on edge when reducing co-codamol use. These usually settle within a few days.

The pill comes in three different strengths and it’s used to relieve more severe pain that cannot be managed by ibuprofen or paracetamol alone, including migraines, menstrual cramps, and rheumatic pains.

All three contain 500g of paracetamol, but varying levels of the stronger painkiller, codeine. The lowest strength (8/500) can be purchased without a prescription from a pharmacy, but the higher two (15/500 and 30/500) need to be prescribed by a doctor.

Taking too much co-codamol can be very dangerous because the paracetamol in it can cause liver damage. Patients must only purchase co-codamol from a registered pharmacy.