Paracetamol and Ibuprofen Shortages Hit Alicante Pharmacies — Linked to Iran Conflict

Common Painkillers Running Short on Alicante Pharmacy Shelves

Shortages of paracetamol and ibuprofen have been confirmed across Alicante province, with the ongoing conflict in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupting the supply routes for the raw materials used to manufacture both medicines.

Spain's medicines regulator, AEMPS, has issued formal shortage notices confirming the situation — an unusual step for two of the most commonly used over-the-counter drugs in the country.

What Is Out of Stock

• Up to eight types of ibuprofen are currently unavailable in the province
• Two paracetamol products are confirmed out of stock — including children's and effervescent formats
• One paracetamol product has been unavailable since March 25
• Another has been out of stock since April 13, with no confirmed restock date

The Wider Picture: Valencian Community Mostly Stable

For those living across the broader Valencian Community, the picture is more reassuring. The Official College of Pharmacists (MICOF) says its members have not reported widespread problems.

"Although two products from two different laboratories are unavailable, there are others that are supplying paracetamol," official sources explained — pointing to the more than 2,345 pharmacies operating across the community as a reason for cautious confidence.

What the Iran Conflict Has to Do With It

The Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which a significant portion of global shipping passes — has been disrupted as a result of the ongoing conflict. Many of the chemical precursors and active pharmaceutical ingredients used to manufacture paracetamol and ibuprofen at scale move through this route, and disruption here creates knock-on effects that ripple through European medicine supply chains weeks later.

Drug shortages are not new in European pharmacies, and they rarely escalate into serious crises — but a shortage of something as routine as paracetamol or ibuprofen is unusual and worth monitoring as the situation in the Middle East continues to develop.

What to Do If Your Brand Is Not Available

The advice from pharmacists is straightforward:

• Ask your pharmacist — in many cases, generics or alternative brands containing the same active ingredient are still in stock even when specific branded products are not
• For ibuprofen 600mg or paracetamol 1g in larger pack sizes, a prescription is still required — speak to your GP if you need these
• Lower-dose products can be bought over the counter where stock allows
• If one pharmacy is out, try another — with over 2,300 pharmacies across the Valencian Community, availability varies by location

This article is based on reporting from Alicante Today, published April 28, 2026, drawing on AEMPS and MICOF data.