Guidance: Medicines that you cannot export from the UK or hoard

Sets out medicines that cannot be exported from the UK or hoarded because they are needed for UK patients.

This document lists the medicines that cannot be exported from the UK or hoarded. The list is updated regularly.

In October 2019, a letter to holders of a wholesale dealer licence (PDF, 52KB) was sent out about the restrictions on parallel exports.

As of 1 January 2021, you may no longer be able to export branded medicines that have been placed on the UK market to countries in the European Economic Area (EEA).

Hoarding or exporting a medicine on the list is considered a breach of regulation 43(2) of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and a contravention of the wholesale dealer licence, and may lead to regulatory action by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which could include immediate suspension of the wholesale dealer licence.

If you have any questions about the restrictions, email [email protected].

Updated to add: Raltitrexed (strength: all; pharmaceutical form: all).

Updated to add: Ramipril (strength: all; pharmaceutical form: all).

Updated to remove: Glucagon (strength: all, pharmaceutical form: powder for injection, solution for injection); and Terbutaline (strength: 500micrograms/1ml and 2.5mg/5ml, pharmaceutical form: solution for injection ampoules).

Updated to add: Cyclophosphamide (strength: 1g/2g/500mg; pharmaceutical form: powder for solution for injection vials).

Updated to add and remove products. Added: Rivastigmine (strength: all, pharmaceutical form: transdermal patches); Dinoprostone (strength: all, pharmaceutical form: all). Removed: Cefalexin (strength: all, pharmaceutical form: oral suspension (sugar free)); Clarithromycin (strength: all, pharmaceutical form: all); insulin isophane human (strength: 100units/ml, pharmaceutical form: suspension for injection cartridges); Pyrazinamide (strength: 500mg, pharmaceutical form: tablets); Sitagliptin (strength: 100mg, pharmaceutical form: tablets).