Supplying Medicines and Supplements to the United Kingdom
A practical guide for buyers worldwide sourcing from the United Kingdom, and for manufacturers and exporters selling into it.
The United Kingdom now runs its own medicines system. The MHRA licenses medicines for the whole UK, and since January 2024 its International Recognition Procedure can turn an approval from the FDA, the EMA or another trusted regulator into a UK licence in 60 or 110 days. Hospital supply in England runs through national NHS frameworks.
Going the other way, the UK is a source of originator medicines, clinical-trial comparators and contract manufacturing. The MHRA issues export certificates, including the Certificate of a Pharmaceutical Product. Plan around two limits: the EU treats UK-made batches as imports, and a government list names medicines that cannot be exported or hoarded.
The United Kingdom at a glance
| Regulator | Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), for the whole UK including Northern Ireland |
|---|---|
| Who holds the licence | An applicant established in the UK, or in the EU/EEA for the International Recognition Procedure |
| Fast or reliance route | International Recognition Procedure: 60 days (Recognition A) or 110 days (Recognition B) |
| Who imports | A wholesaler with a Responsible Person (import) for QP-certified batches from approved countries; otherwise a UK manufacturing and import authorisation with a UK QP |
| Public buying | NHS England's Commercial Medicines Unit runs national frameworks, published on Find a Tender |
| Unlicensed route | Unlicensed "specials" for individual patients, notified to the MHRA before each import |
How to supply medicines to the United Kingdom
- Find a holder and choose the route. The applicant must be established in the UK, or in the EU/EEA for the International Recognition Procedure. If you already hold an FDA, EMA, Health Canada, Swissmedic, TGA, HSA or PMDA approval, the IRP relies on it: 60 days under Recognition A, 110 days under Recognition B. Generics must cite a UK reference product. Our dossier licensing and registration service can help with the file.
- Plan import and batch release. Batches already QP-certified in the EU or EEA can come in under a wholesale dealer's licence, with a Responsible Person (import) checking each one. From anywhere else you need a UK manufacturing and import authorisation and a UK QP. The UK accepts batch testing done in the EU/EEA and in MRA countries, with some exclusions. See our Europe and Turkey import guide.
- Get the pack right. UK packs must say "UK Only". The UK's falsified-medicines verification system closed at the end of 2024, so EU-recognisable barcodes must be removed or covered. Check your stability data matches the storage claims on the pack.
- Supply the NHS. In England, NHS England's Commercial Medicines Unit runs national frameworks for hospital medicines, including generics, branded medicines and biosimilars. Tenders are published on the government's Find a Tender service. Our tender supply service can help you prepare a bid.
Doctors, pharmacies and licensed importers can bring in unlicensed "specials" for individual patients. Importers use a wholesale dealer's licence for products from approved countries, or a manufacturer's specials licence for others, and must notify the MHRA before each import. See named-patient and special import and government tender supply.
Sourcing from the United Kingdom
- Originator medicines and comparators. UK-licensed packs are a source of originator medicines and clinical-trial comparators. Before you order, check the government list of medicines that cannot be exported from the UK or hoarded: it is updated regularly, and exporting a listed medicine breaches the wholesaler's licence. Branded medicines placed on the UK market may also not be exportable to the EEA. Our comparator sourcing guide covers documents and blinding.
- APIs and their documents. Ask a UK API maker for a CEP or a DMF, and for an EU-bound substance, the written confirmation from the MHRA that the EU now requires. See CEP vs DMF vs ASMF and our API supplier service.
- Contract manufacturing. UK plants hold MHRA manufacturer licences. The MHRA's certificate of manufacturing status confirms that the sites named on a licence meet good manufacturing practice. Remember that UK-made batches entering the EU are imports and need an EU importer, QP and testing. Read our contract manufacturing guide or ask about white-label manufacturing.
- Export certificates. The MHRA issues a Certificate of a Pharmaceutical Product for licensed products, with the licence holder's permission, and for unlicensed products made in the UK under a manufacturer licence. A certificate of licensing status helps importing agents screen tender bids, for up to ten products and one country. Pull these into a documentation and quality pack.
Supplements
Food supplements are regulated as food in the UK, under general food law, the Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003 and their equivalents in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. There is no product approval, but the business must register with its local authority, make sure what it sells is safe, and label it "food supplement". Keep disease claims off the pack: a supplement is not a medicine. We help brands get supplements made under their own label by GMP-certified contract manufacturers: see nutraceutical private label.
What people in the United Kingdom search for
Semrush data from October 2026 shows that people in the United Kingdom search most for creatine (about 201,000 searches a month), magnesium glycinate (165,000), and vitamin D, ashwagandha and electrolytes (135,000 each).
UK searchers use generic names for everyday medicines: "amlodipine" gets about 53,200 searches a month, "sertraline" 49,500 and "atorvastatin" 38,100. Searches for "b12" (48,300) and "iron" (33,700) show strong interest in deficiency treatments.
How importers, pharmacies and manufacturers in the United Kingdom search
Trade searches lean towards making products: "largest pharma manufacturers" gets about 1,300 searches a month, "contract manufacturing" 1,000 and "private label" 720.
Originator brands searched by name include Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Ozempic (semaglutide). Brand names are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify the medicine.
Supplements we can help you make
Often searched medicines include tirzepatide, amlodipine, sertraline and atorvastatin. Some examples we list:
Documents to ask your supplier for
- A Certificate of a Pharmaceutical Product (CoPP) in WHO format.
- The plant's GMP evidence, such as a WHO-GMP, EU-GMP or PIC/S certificate, plus any inspection by your regulator.
- The registration dossier (CTD or ACTD), with bioequivalence data for generics where required.
- Stability data for hot climates.
- A Certificate of Analysis for every batch.
Not sure a supplier is genuine? Read how to verify a pharmaceutical supplier. For the neighbouring markets, see our Europe and Turkey import guide.
Sourcing for the United Kingdom?
Send the product, strength, quantity and the documents your regulator needs. We will match you with GMP-certified manufacturers and suppliers who can serve your market, wherever they are based.
Send your requirement Talk to our team