UK pharmacy procurement teams sourcing aztreonam 1g and 2g powder for solution for injection have been affected by a national supply shortage.
On 11 June 2026, the Department of Health and Social Care issued Medicine Supply Notification MSN/2026/025, classifying the shortage as Tier 2, medium impact. At the time of the notification, aztreonam 2g vials were out of stock and aztreonam 1g vials were expected to be out of stock from the end of June. Resupply dates had not been confirmed.
The notification also confirmed that unlicensed aztreonam 1g and 2g products had been sourced by specialist importers, providing an additional procurement route where licensed alternatives are not appropriate.
Alcatia Pharma is specifically listed in the national Medicine Supply Notification as one of the specialist importers that confirmed it could source unlicensed aztreonam in both 1g and 2g strengths.
If your organisation is currently experiencing difficulty sourcing aztreonam, Alcatia can investigate available unlicensed supply.
Medicine Supply Notification MSN/2026/025 covers:
When the notification was issued on 11 June 2026:
Because supply positions can change, NHS organisations should check the latest entry in the Medicines Supply Tool alongside any sourcing enquiry. Community Pharmacy England notes that changes to resupply dates and Medicine Supply Notification entries are published through that tool.
The national notification advises NHS provider Trust pharmacy procurement teams and clinical teams to work together to review existing holdings of aztreonam 1g and 2g, including stock held at ward level.
Where available stock is insufficient, the guidance states that clinicians should:
This distinction is important.
An unlicensed import is not simply another wholesaler option to be substituted automatically when licensed stock disappears. The clinical requirement and the suitability of available licensed alternatives must be considered first.
Yes, subject to availability and the relevant clinical, regulatory and local governance requirements.
The national notification identifies a number of specialist importers that had confirmed they could source unlicensed aztreonam 1g and 2g powder for solution for injection vials.
The list includes:
The notification also makes clear that this is not necessarily an exhaustive list of suppliers.
For procurement teams, the relevant point is that international unlicensed supply has been identified as a recognised mitigation for this specific shortage, rather than being a theoretical sourcing route.
An imported product can be licensed and routinely marketed in another country while still being classed as unlicensed in the UK.
The MHRA's framework for unlicensed medicinal products allows medicines to be specially manufactured or imported in defined circumstances to meet the needs of individual patients. These products are commonly referred to as Specials.
During the aztreonam shortage, a specialist importer may therefore identify a commercially manufactured aztreonam product from another market and arrange its import through the appropriate UK regulatory route.
That does not make the imported product equivalent to a UK-licensed medicine from a regulatory perspective.
Pharmacy teams need to understand an important distinction.
The aztreonam Medicine Supply Notification states that unlicensed imports do not undergo a central quality assessment or suitability evaluation. Any imported product must therefore be locally assessed in accordance with the organisation's unlicensed medicines procedures.
The decision to prescribe or use an unlicensed medicine must also take account of relevant professional guidance and NHS Trust or local governance requirements.
This means the procurement process should not simply be:
Aztreonam unavailable → overseas stock found → order placed.
Instead, procurement, pharmacy quality and clinical teams need sufficient information about the proposed imported product to assess whether it is suitable.
When Alcatia identifies a potential source of unlicensed aztreonam, the purchasing organisation may need information about the specific product being offered.
Depending on the source, this can include:
These details allow the receiving pharmacy team to assess the actual imported product, rather than assuming that every international aztreonam presentation is identical to the familiar UK product.
Matching the molecule and strength does not necessarily mean two medicines are identical in every respect.
An international aztreonam product could potentially differ in areas such as:
The significance of any differences needs to be assessed by the appropriate pharmacy and clinical professionals.
This is one reason it helps to begin the sourcing process early. The procurement team needs enough time not only to locate stock, but also to evaluate the product being offered.
For an initial sourcing enquiry, the most useful information is straightforward.
Specify whether you require:
Aztreonam 1g powder for solution for injection
or
Aztreonam 2g powder for solution for injection
If you require both strengths, provide the requirement for each separately.
Tell us how many vials or packs you require.
International availability may be limited and can change quickly, so an approximate quantity is considerably more useful than simply asking whether aztreonam is available.
Tell us when the stock needs to arrive.
Lead times can vary between products and source markets, and the national shortage notification specifically warns that lead times for unlicensed products may vary.
Provide the name of the NHS Trust, hospital, pharmacy, wholesaler or other healthcare organisation making the request.
It is helpful to include any specific requirements around:
You do not need to identify an overseas supplier yourself.
Alcatia can investigate available international supply based on the requirement you provide.
There is no universal lead time.
The time required can depend on:
The June Medicine Supply Notification specifically advises prescribers to work with local pharmacy teams to ensure orders are placed within appropriate timescales because lead times may vary.
For this reason, procurement teams should ideally begin investigating unlicensed supply before remaining local stock reaches a critical level, where the future requirement can reasonably be anticipated.
That is a decision for the relevant procurement, pharmacy and clinical teams.
The national guidance first asks Trusts to review the total stock they already hold, including ward holdings, and to consider appropriate licensed alternatives. Unlicensed products should be considered where licensed alternatives are not appropriate.
However, investigating potential availability does not require an organisation to commit immediately to an order.
Where stock is declining and replenishment is uncertain, an early sourcing enquiry can help establish:
That information can then support the organisation's procurement planning.
The national notification includes a section specifically addressing the ordering and prescribing of unlicensed imports.
It states that the listed specialist importers had confirmed they could source unlicensed aztreonam 1g and 2g powder for solution for injection vials.
Alcatia Pharma is one of the companies named.
For pharmacy procurement teams, this provides a useful distinction from a generic claim that a wholesaler may be able to source a medicine.
Alcatia's ability to investigate unlicensed aztreonam supply is explicitly referenced within the official national shortage notification.
It does not mean that stock is guaranteed to be available indefinitely. International availability can change as other organisations respond to the same shortage.
That makes it important to provide Alcatia with a specific quantity and required-by date when making an enquiry.
Once we know your requirement, our sourcing team can investigate the available supply options.
A useful request might look like:
Medicine: Aztreonam
Strength: 2g
Form: Powder for solution for injection vial
Quantity: 200 vials
Required by: 21 August
Organisation: [Your organisation]
Additional requirement: Minimum six months' shelf life
We can then establish whether a suitable source can be identified and provide the relevant information for your procurement team to assess.
Submitting a request is not confirmation that stock is available and does not commit your organisation to purchasing it.
It gives us the information required to conduct a meaningful supply search.
If your organisation is affected by the UK aztreonam shortage, Alcatia Pharma can investigate potential unlicensed supply.
Alcatia Pharma is named in Medicine Supply Notification MSN/2026/025 as a specialist importer that confirmed it could source unlicensed aztreonam 1g and 2g powder for solution for injection vials.
Tell us:
Which strength you need
How much you need
When you need it
Our team will investigate available supply options and provide the relevant product information for your pharmacy procurement team to assess.
Supply information can change rapidly. Pharmacy teams should confirm the latest national shortage position through the Medicines Supply Tool and applicable NHS guidance. This article is intended for general information for healthcare procurement and medicines-supply professionals and does not constitute clinical, prescribing or regulatory advice. Decisions concerning the procurement, prescribing and use of unlicensed medicines should be made by appropriately authorised professionals in accordance with current MHRA requirements and local governance procedures.