Market prices of medicines can increase for several reasons, including normal market forces, manufacturing issues, and wider supply chain pressures, and prices can go up as well as down. Where the market price of a medicine suddenly increases, concessionary prices can be granted in that month, increasing the reimbursement price above the Drug Tariff price, with the aim of mitigating pharmacies dispensing at a loss. With regards to the wider assessment of potential impacts of delays, I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 1 June 2026 in response to Question 3946.

Low-dose dispersible aspirin is normally widely available at a relatively low price, without a prescription, from pharmacies. For example, a packet of 100 75milligram tablets can be purchased for approximately £2.10. Where aspirin is prescribed, there are extensive arrangements in place in England to ensure prescriptions are affordable for everyone, including for those with heart conditions. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there is a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which those with chronic illnesses may be eligible.

The Department is aware that a recent disruption in the supply of aspirin tablets occurred due to manufacturing problems and knock-on increased demand. These issues have now been addressed, and we are collaborating with suppliers to restore normal supply as soon as possible. Pharmacies are regularly able to order new stock as it becomes available.

We continue to work with manufacturers and United Kingdom distributors to maximise supply to pharmacies and hospitals across the country. The Department is closely monitoring the situation and expects supplies to return to normal in the coming weeks.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand.

The Department is aware of a recent disruption to the supply of aspirin tablets due to manufacturing issues and knock-on increased demand. The issues have been addressed, and we are working with suppliers to aid a return to normal supply as soon as possible, with stock regularly being made available for pharmacies to order. Guidance has been issued to healthcare professionals with management advice to consider until the supply issue fully resolves.

We are working with all partners in the supply chain, including manufacturers and United Kingdom distributors, to ensure maximum accessibility to pharmacies and hospitals irrespective of where they are in the country.

The Department will continue to monitor the situation and expects supplies to return to normal over the coming weeks.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand.

The Department is aware of a recent disruption to the supply of aspirin tablets due to manufacturing issues and knock-on increased demand. The issues have been addressed, and we are working with suppliers to aid a return to normal supply as soon as possible, with stock regularly being made available for pharmacies to order. Guidance has been issued to healthcare professionals with management advice to consider until the supply issue fully resolves.

We are working with all partners in the supply chain, including manufacturers and United Kingdom distributors, to ensure maximum accessibility to pharmacies and hospitals irrespective of where they are in the country.

The Department will continue to monitor the situation and expects supplies to return to normal over the coming weeks.

The Department is aware of a recent disruption to the supply of aspirin dispersible tablets and are working with suppliers to understand the causes and aid a return to normal supply as soon as possible. Supply issues have been addressed, and stock is regularly being made available for pharmacies to order.

We are working with all partners in the supply chain, including manufacturers and United Kingdom distributors, to ensure maximum accessibility to pharmacies and hospitals irrespective of where they are in the country.

The Department will continue to monitor the situation and expects supplies to return to normal over the coming weeks.

NHS England’s guidance states that there are a few absolute contraindications, that being, conditions that mean a certain treatment should not be used, to aspirin therapy. Pregnant women with a history of aspirin allergy, for example urticaria, or hypersensitivity to other salicylates are at risk of anaphylaxis and should not receive aspirin. Clinicians should undertake a personalised risk assessment and agree appropriate care and surveillance of maternal and foetal health in line with national guidance, local protocols, and the woman’s circumstances. NHS England’s guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/saving-babies-lives-version-3-2/#appendix-b-medication-to-reduce-the-risk-of-pregnancy-complications:~:text=There%20are%20a%20few,case%2Dby%2Dcase%20basis

The information requested is not held centrally.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The sale of aspirin is already regulated under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. Regulation 221 of these regulations specifies the pack sizes that can be sold without a prescription. Regulation 236 specifies the maximum amount of tablets that can be sold, currently set as 100 tablets, before it becomes a prescription only item.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) also has best practice guidance on the sale of medicines for pain relief for retailers, recommending a maximum sale of two packs. This is entirely voluntary, although it was agreed with the British Retail Consortium, and is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/956857/Appendix_4.pdf

The MHRA is currently working with the British Retail Consortium to raise awareness of the guidance, why we have it in place, and how we can improve it to meet current retailing practice.

No assessment has been made.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the body responsible for regulating all medicines in the United Kingdom on behalf of health ministers. In 1998, smaller pack sizes were introduced for non-prescription medicines containing paracetamol or aspirin to manage the risk of misuse and overuse. The MHRA continues to monitor the safety in use of non-prescription medicines containing paracetamol and aspirin and will take further action to safeguard public health if necessary.

The National Institute for Health Research, funded by the Department, commissioned research published in 2013, which analysed deaths by poisoning by paracetamol since the restrictions to its sale were introduced in 1998, ‘Long term effect of reduced pack sizes of paracetamol on poisoning deaths and liver transplant activity in England and Wales: interrupted time series analyses’. This is available at the following link:

https://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f403

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) clinical guideline on stroke and transient ischaemic attack in over 16s: diagnosis and initial management (CG68), published in July 2008, recommends that all people presenting with acute stroke who have had a diagnosis of primary intracerebral haemorrhage excluded by brain imaging should be given aspirin 300 mg as soon as possible but certainly within 24 hours.

Thereafter, aspirin 300 mg should be continued until two weeks after the onset of stroke symptoms, at which time definitive long-term antithrombotic treatment should be initiated.

This guidance is due to be reviewed by NICE in July 2016 to see whether it needs to be updated.

Ministers have had no such discussions.

Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes A Strategy for England 2015-2020 includes a recommendation that NHS England should commission the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to develop updated guidelines for the use of drugs for the prevention of breast and colorectal cancers including the use of aspirin for individuals with hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer. Once these guidelines are published, clinical commissioning groups should ensure that general practitioners implement them. A National Cancer Transformation Board will oversee the implementation of the strategy, and an implementation plan will be published shortly.

The Strategy also noted that Cancer Research UK and the National Institute for Health Research will continue to monitor outcomes from trials under way in the United Kingdom and internationally regarding the role of aspirin in cancer prevention more generally. They will make evidence available to NHS England and NICE as results become clear.

The Department has had no such discussions. The Department's National Institute for Health Research welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including the use of aspirin or other treatments to improve fertility. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

Two influenza vaccines are in use; a needle-administered inactivated flu vaccine and a live attenuated vaccine administered as a nasal spray to children. Side effects of either influenza vaccine are generally mild and unlikely to require any form of pain relief such as paracetamol or aspirin.

There have been no such recent discussions.

In England, the current clinical consensus is that low dose aspirin is not recommended purely for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

There have been no discussions between the Secretary of State for Health and professional medical bodies regarding the implications for the National Health Service of research on the effects of taking aspirin on the likelihood of heart attacks.

In England, the current consensus is that low dose aspirin is not recommended purely for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

We know that research carried out so far shows that taking a low dose of aspirin daily may lower the risk of getting cancer and it may lower the risk of some cancers spreading to other parts of the body. However, aspirin can cause serious side effects such as internal bleeding and we have to be certain that the benefits of taking aspirin outweigh the risks.

The third annual report of “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer”, published in December 2013 reported that an international consensus statement on the use of aspirin in the general population has been developed by experts around the world, but is awaiting publication. Once the international consensus statement is published, we will assess what this means for policy in England,

such as when the benefits might be outweighed by the disadvantages (particularly, the increased risk of gastric bleeds) and how best to manage the use of aspirin for prevention and treatment of cancer.

Cancer Research UK advises that anyone thinking of taking aspirin to reduce the risk of getting cancer should talk to their doctor first.

The Department has not provided advice on the prescription of aspirin to treat atrial fibrillation (AF). The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) provides evidence based

advice on the clinical and cost-effectiveness in the use of medicines. It is currently updating the existing clinical guideline on AF and plans to publish a quality standard on AF with the revised guideline in 2014. NICE is also in the process of updating the commissioning guidance on anticoagulation therapy services to take account of its recent guidance on the new oral anticoagulants, dabigatran etexilate (Pradaxa) and rivaroxaban (Xarelto); it aims to publish this update in April 2013.

NHS Improvement is continuing to work with the cardiovascular networks and other key partners to provide advice and guidance on stroke prevention in AF. This work includes the continued development and roll-out of a simple audit tool to general practices in England. This enables general practitioners to identify those patients with AF who are currently prescribed aspirin to manage their risk of stroke and who would benefit from oral anticoagulant medicines. Over the last year, NHS Improvement has promoted the use of this tool at many educational events as well as the use of oral anticoagulant medicines over aspirin.