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DHSC maintains a standing list of medicines subject to a domestic-supply-protection export restriction under regulation 43(2) of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, revised on a rolling basis as shortage risk shifts across products (see the November 2025 Nelarabine revision, 2025-11-06-uk-dhsc-medicines-export-restriction-list-revision-nov2025, for the same standing mechanism).
The 16 January 2026 revision added two products: Aspirin (all strengths/forms) — a widely-used staple analgesic/antiplatelet drug where UK pharmacy trade press reported acute shortages driven by manufacturing delays and raw-ingredient supply problems, with some pharmacies reporting sell-out of stock — and Ifosfamide (1g/2g powder for solution for injection vials), a chemotherapy agent used in a range of solid-tumour and lymphoma regimens. The restriction took effect the following day, 17 January 2026. Non-compliant wholesale dealers face immediate MHRA licence suspension.
Aspirin's inclusion is notable relative to prior list revisions in that it is a high-volume, low-cost generic staple rather than a niche specialist product — indicating the shortage pressure was broad-based (raw-ingredient / manufacturing-capacity driven) rather than a single- manufacturer disruption.
of underlying UK pharmaceutical-supply-chain strain than the typical single-niche-product addition, and is consistent with broader reporting of raw-ingredient and manufacturing- capacity shortages affecting UK generics supply through early 2026.
rely on the regulation 43(2) export/hoarding-restriction mechanism as its primary lever for managing medicine-shortage risk, rather than emergency stockpiling or import facilitation.
active-ingredient supplier disruption vs. domestic manufacturing capacity vs. demand spike); trade press attributes it to "manufacturing delays and shortages of raw ingredients" without naming a supplier or geography.