Guidance

Medicine supply disruption statistics, UK: background and methodology

Published 5 August 2026

Introduction

This methodology and background publication provides information on the data sources, coverage, definitions and methods used to produce Medicine supply disruption statistics, UK. These statistics are published every 6 months by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

The purpose of this methodology note is to help users understand:

• how the statistics have been compiled
• the scope and quality of the data
• the appropriate uses and limitations of the information presented

It is intended for users who require a greater understanding of the technical and methodological aspects of the publication.

These statistics are produced in line with the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice for Statistics, ensuring that they meet the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value. They are published as official statistics.

Taking into consideration the limitations outlined in this document, these statistics can be used to:

• monitor trends over time in the number of supply issue and discontinuation notifications reported to DHSC

• monitor trends over time in the reported root causes of supply issue notifications

Data source and coverage

These official statistics are published twice yearly by DHSC and provide information on medicine supply issue and discontinuation notifications reported to DHSC in the UK.

DHSC is notified of medicine supply issues and discontinuations primarily through reports submitted by pharmaceutical suppliers. Since October 2020, suppliers have submitted these notifications through DHSC’s online reporting system, the Discontinuations and Shortages (DaSH) portal. The portal enables suppliers of medicines supplied to the NHS to meet their statutory obligation to notify DHSC of actual or potential supply disruptions, including supply issues and discontinuations.

The statistics presented in the ‘Medicine supply disruption statistics, UK’ publication are derived from data submitted through the DaSH portal. Statistics on the number of supply issue and discontinuation notifications are available from October 2020 onwards, when the DaSH portal was introduced. Comparable data is not available before this date.

Improvements to data collection during 2023 enabled the capture of root cause information, and so statistics on the root causes of supply issue notifications are available from January 2024 onwards and comparisons should only be made from then. In 2024, an additional ‘Other’ category was introduced to allow suppliers to report root causes not covered by the existing categories.

Suppliers use the DaSH portal to notify DHSC of actual or potential supply issues and discontinuations affecting the UK market. Notifications are submitted for medicines licensed for use in the UK.

These statistics do not provide a measure of actual medicine shortages, patient impact or product discontinuations.

Definitions

Discontinuations and Shortages (DaSH) portal

The DaSH portal is an online reporting system which enables suppliers of medicines supplied to the NHS to meet their statutory obligation to notify DHSC of actual or potential supply disruptions, including supply issues and discontinuations.

Supply issues and discontinuations

There are published DHSC reporting requirements for medicine shortages and discontinuations. These requirements provides guidance and define what is meant by supply issues and discontinuations under The Health Service Products (Provision and Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2018.

A supply issue occurs when supply does not meet patient demand at national level.

A discontinuation occurs when a manufacturer or importer of the presentation intends to permanently stop supplying a product.

For both, this is irrespective of whether it applies to the entire UK, or only to one or more of England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland as individual UK nations. Although DHSC only has responsibility for England, necessary actions to mitigate national supply disruptions for the whole UK can be taken in collaboration with all UK countries.

Supply disruption notification

A report submitted by a pharmaceutical supplier to notify DHSC of a potential supply issue or discontinuation to a medicine licensed for use in the UK.

Root causes

When a company records a supply disruption notification on the DaSH portal, they are required to report the main underlying reason of the disruption. This is selected from a list of main categories, with sub-categories within them.

The full list of root cause categories and sub-categories, as well as sub-category definitions, is available in the annex below. Some sub-categories are grouped for analysis due to low numbers of notifications.

Data processing and methodology

Data input and collection

The data is self-reported by suppliers through the DaSH portal. The monthly total of supply issue and discontinuation notifications are counted using the date on which they were submitted to the portal.

Most notifications are submitted before a supply disruption is expected to occur. However, in some cases notifications may be reported after supply has already been affected. In addition, established supply issue management processes mean that not all reported supply disruptions result in a shortage or impact on patients. Similarly, not all discontinuation notifications result in a product being withdrawn from the market; a notification indicates the supplier’s intention to discontinue a product. To ensure consistency and comparability, notifications are counted according to the date they are submitted to the DaSH portal rather than the date on which supply is reported to be affected.

Notifications are submitted at individual product level by the supplier (for example, ‘Supplier A - Paracetamol 500mg capsules’). Multiple suppliers may submit notifications for the same product, potentially with different reported root causes. Each notification is counted separately within these statistics.

For supply issue notifications, suppliers are asked to record root causes, which are defined above in the ‘Definitions’ section. The number of notifications by root cause are counted and presented as an annual total. As suppliers can select multiple root causes for a single notification, the total number of root causes reported will usually exceed the total number of supply issue notifications. Consequently, when presented as proportions, the percentages for individual root causes may sum to more than 100%.

Where suppliers select more than one root cause sub-category within the same main category, this will be counted separately for notifications by root cause (sub-category) but counted once for notifications by root cause (main category). Therefore, the total number of notifications by root cause (main category) will be lower than the total number of notifications by root cause (sub-category).

The DaSH portal includes a range of validation controls, including mandatory fields, data-type checks and predefined drop-down selections, to help ensure that information is complete and logically consistent. Where erroneous, duplicate or incomplete notifications are identified, these are reviewed and amended or removed as appropriate.

Data downloads and processing

A snapshot of the data held within the DaSH portal is taken by DHSC analysts twice each year for the production of these statistics. The date of this snapshot will vary by release, and will be clarified in the statistical commentary. The data sets taken from the DaSH portal are stored securely within DHSC systems in accordance with departmental data governance and security requirements.

All statistical analysis is undertaken by DHSC analysts and is subject to established quality assurance procedures. Any changes to the analytical methodology or outputs are tested and independently peer reviewed before being incorporated into the published statistics.

Quality assurance is applied throughout the data lifecycle, from the initial submission of notifications through to the production and publication of the statistics. The DaSH portal includes a range of validation controls to support data quality, and additional checks are undertaken by DHSC. However, as the data is self-reported by suppliers, some inaccuracies or inconsistencies may remain and may not be identified through the quality assurance process.

Data quality and limitations

This section measures the medicine supply disruption statistics against the dimensions of quality set out by the Government Statistical Service for statistical outputs. See ‘The European Statistical System’s dimensions of quality’ section on the Government Analysis Function page Quality statistics in government.

Limitations

The statistics are derived from notifications submitted by suppliers through the DaSH portal and are therefore subject to the limitations associated with self-reported data.

Reporting practices may vary between suppliers, including the frequency, timeliness and accuracy of notifications submitted. As a result, both under-reporting and over-reporting may be present within the data. Notifications may also be submitted at different stages of a supply disruption, including after supply has already been affected.

In addition, not all reported supply issues result in a shortage or impact on patients. Established supply management processes may mitigate or resolve a potential disruption before it affects patient access. Similarly, not all discontinuation notifications result in a product being withdrawn from the market. Consequently, these statistics should be interpreted as a way to monitor the number of potential supply issues and discontinuations reported to DHSC, rather than a measure of actual medicine shortages, patient impact or definite product discontinuations.

The statistics are also not a comprehensive measure of all medicine supply disruptions affecting the UK market. For example, some secondary care supply issues and discontinuations may not be reported through the DaSH portal, as contracted suppliers may notify NHS England directly through routine contractual reporting arrangements.

Root cause information is reported by suppliers and could change as new information becomes available. Reported root causes therefore reflect suppliers’ understanding at the time of notification and may not represent the final confirmed cause of a disruption.

DHSC works with suppliers to support consistent and accurate reporting through legal requirements, guidance, ongoing engagement and targeted engagement with pharmaceutical suppliers where necessary. Reporting processes and guidance are also kept under regular review to support continuous improvement.

Also, trends over time may be influenced by changes in reporting practices, awareness of reporting requirements, or improvements to the DaSH portal and associated guidance, rather than solely changes in the underlying number of supply disruptions.

Accuracy and timeliness

The accuracy and reliability of this data are dependent on the timeliness and completeness of supplier reporting to DHSC.

Regulations introduced in January 2019 placed a legal requirement on medicine licence holders to provide information to DHSC about the availability of UK licensed medicines supplied to the NHS and about discontinuation or anticipated supply shortages (see ’The Health Service Products (Provision and Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2018, linked above). Since the introduction of the DaSH portal in October 2020, awareness and use of the system have increased across the industry. However, reporting practices vary between suppliers, meaning both under-reporting and over-reporting may be present within the data set.

The regulations state that information must be provided at least 6 months before the supply issue or discontinuation happens. Alternatively, where this information is not available 6 months in advance, it must be provided as soon as reasonably practicable after the producer makes the decision to discontinue or becomes aware that there may be a supply shortage. While there are obligations on suppliers to report supply issues, adherence to these requirements and the point of notification can vary.

In addition, many reported disruptions are subsequently resolved or mitigated and therefore do not result in a patient-facing shortage or product discontinuation. To ensure consistency and reliability, these statistics are based on the date on which a supplier notified DHSC, rather than the date the supply disruption began.

To balance timeliness with data quality, these statistics will be published twice yearly. This publication frequency allows for reporting trends to stabilise, helping to ensure that the data presented is as accurate and complete as possible.

Accessibility and clarity

These statistics are freely available on GOV.UK, with all documents published in an accessible format. The statistical reports and this methodology document are published in HTML and accompanying data tables are published in OpenDocument Spreadsheet (ODS) format. Additionally, the commentary is written with the aim of being clear and impartial.

Revisions

Revisions may be required where notifications are amended, removed or identified as duplicates, as described in the ‘Data input and collection’ section. Where necessary, these updates will be incorporated into the next scheduled release of the statistics and communicated clearly to users.

The scale of routine revisions is expected to be small, as the date on which a notification is submitted is automatically recorded by the DaSH portal and cannot be retrospectively altered by suppliers.

In the event that an error is identified in a published statistical output, DHSC will make any necessary corrections in accordance with DHSC’s revisions and corrections policy. Where revisions are significant or fall outside the normal schedule of updates, they will be clearly identified and explained within the publication.

Contact

If you have any questions or feedback in relation to these statistics, contact statistics@dhsc.gov.uk.

Annex: root cause category definitions

Main category	Sub-category	Definition
Major events	Natural disaster	Major wildfire, flood, earthquake or tsunami, affecting the manufacturers, suppliers or the supply chain, including disruption to shipping and air freight.
Major events	Pandemic	Epidemic or pandemic affecting the manufacturers, suppliers or the supply chain, including disruption to shipping and air freight.
Major events	Terrorism or armed conflict	War, terrorism, insurgency, civil war or other forms of armed conflict affecting the manufacturers, suppliers or the supply chain, including disruption to shipping and air freight.
Major events	Trade barriers, tariffs or trade sanctions	Existing non-tariff barriers, such as those created by EU exit, tariffs in other markets making export to the UK prohibitive, or trade sanctions in the event of armed conflict or political unrest.
Major events	Economic downturn or external market forces	General market forces, including inflationary pressures or market failure due to recession. Likely impact to include multiple company liquidations or large-scale supply disruption. Supplier or manufacturer chooses not to continue with certification or licensing for economic, technical or operational reasons.
Major events	Other reason	Please refer to the category definitions and ensure that none of the above categories apply.
Manufacturing	Raw material (active pharmaceutical ingredient, inactive ingredients, excipients) or packaging raw material shortage	Basic raw materials are not being supplied to the manufacturer, limiting or preventing manufacture. May contribute to discontinuation of products if supply disruption cannot be addressed. This also includes fuel supply and changes or improvements to raw material.
Manufacturing	Manufacturing failure or relocation (including technology or IT failure)	Failure of the manufacturing process caused through production plant breakdown, machine breakdown, computer failure or the physical manufacture of products, including fires or damage to individual manufacturing plants. Also includes plant relocation or IT failure preventing manufacture.
Manufacturing	Product recall or quality failure	Manufacturing issues, such as cross-contamination, leading to scrapping of stock held at suppliers or manufacturers and product recall from the supply chain and customers. Includes planned or unplanned changes to product specification.
Manufacturing	Industrial action (affecting manufacture)	Industrial action directly affecting the manufacture of medicines.
Manufacturing	Delay in supply chain	Delay in supply chain affecting manufacture or supply of finished product, including third-party delays (excludes raw material shortages).
Manufacturing	Capacity constraints	Production or packaging line constraints, including third-party logistics storage constraints.
Manufacturing	Other reason	Please refer to the category definitions and ensure that none of the above categories apply.
Logistics	Supply chain disruption or transport disruption	Lack of transport vehicles, lack of sea freight or air freight availability, including accidental sinking or running aground of shipping or air crash. Includes accidents affecting supply chain such as small warehouse fires and so on. Excludes fuel supply, the effect of war or terrorism, and natural disaster.
Logistics	Technology, IT or failure affecting logistics	IT failure directly affecting the logistics or supply chain, such as inability to order manufactured stock items or schedule deliveries.
Logistics	Sudden skills shortage	Skills shortage preventing supply or transport of goods.
Logistics	Industrial action (affecting logistics)	Industrial action directly affecting the transport or distribution of medicines.
Logistics	Other reason	Please refer to the category definitions and ensure that none of the above categories apply.
Legal, regulatory, market and demand	Customer demand or surge	Customers order more stock than the manufacturer’s supply chain is routinely able to supply. Excludes natural disaster, pandemic and armed conflict response.
Legal, regulatory, market and demand	Contract failure	Supplier unable to meet the requirements of the contract and therefore terminating or seeking to terminate the contract early. DHSC, NHS England or NHS trusts terminating the contract for poor performance or other business reasons, including discontinuation of products for economic, technical or operational reasons.
Legal, regulatory, market and demand	Company merger, takeover or product or business divestment	Supplier, manufacturer or line takeover, or potential takeover, impacting on supply of goods and/or services.
Legal, regulatory, market and demand	Copyright infringement or civil legal action	Copyright infringement or legal action taken against the supplier or manufacturer by another supplier or manufacturer, causing supply disruption.
Legal, regulatory, market and demand	Licensing, regulatory or enforcement	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency withdraws the licence from the product due to safety concerns preventing sale, or regulatory action after breach of licencing conditions. Other public bodies taking enforcement action that prevents supply of goods or components. Supplier or manufacturer chooses not to continue with certification or licensing for economic, technical or operational reasons. Includes delays related to regulatory approvals.
Legal, regulatory, market and demand	Company liquidation or closure	Supplier or manufacturer goes into liquidation or otherwise ceases trading.
Legal, regulatory, market and demand	Other reason	Please refer to the category definitions and ensure that none of the above categories apply.