UK pharmacies have issued a 'serious' warning about a medicine shortage for a common condition. Officials have warned that a certain dosage of ramipril, a high blood pressure medication, is in short supply across the UK.

The medication, which can be taken as tablets, capsules or as a liquid, works by widening the blood vessels and making it easier for the heart to pump blood around the body. A "serious shortage protocol" notice has been issued for ramipril 1.25mg capsules, which says patients can only get one month's worth of supplies at a time.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) said three million items of ramipril are prescribed every month in England.

NPA chairman Olivier Picard said: "We are concerned by this recent shortage, with a number of pharmacies being unable to order some strengths of ramipril as well as seeing the cost soar in recent weeks, in instances where stock can be found.

"Millions of patients rely on ramipril and although there are alternative medicines available, supplies of these must be managed carefully by the Government to ensure subsequent demand can be met.

"The Government should allow pharmacists to make substitutions to ramipril prescriptions to ensure patients do not have to go back to their GP to find an alternative.

"Pharmacies are increasingly facing supply problems affecting everyday medicines on which millions rely every day.

"Whilst the medicine supply chain is extremely complex, the rising problem of shortages across a wide range of medication is extremely worrying for patients and heartbreaking for pharmacists who go to great lengths to ensure they don't turn them away.

"Fragility in the global supply chain is worsened by international instability and the fact that long term under-funding of pharmacies has driven down the price for medicines in the UK to unsustainable levels."

The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.

Ramipril is a medicine widely used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. It's also prescribed after a heart attack.

Ramipril helps prevent future strokes, heart attacks and kidney problems.

It works by widening your blood vessels and making it easier for your heart to pump blood around your body.

This medicine is available on prescription. It comes as tablets, capsules and as a liquid that you swallow for people who find it difficult to swallow tablets.