Medicine shortages in Germany 🇩🇪 — Lieferengpass

Key facts

• As of 5 November 2026, 227 medicines have open availability reports in Germany (481 product-level reports).
• 14 new reports were filed in November 2026.
• Most common stated cause: manufacturing problems (244 reports).
• Longest-running open case: Hydrochlorothiazid; Valsartan, since 2018-07-01.
• Official source: BfArM (Germany), checked daily.

481 product-level reports are open, 14 new reports were filed in November 2026. Where the register states a cause, the leading ones are manufacturing problems (244), unexpectedly high demand (121) out of 365 reports with a stated cause. The longest-running open case is Hydrochlorothiazid; Valsartan, reported on 2018-07-01 — about 100 months ago.

How to read this register: BfArM logs company-reported Lieferengpässe per product, flags hospital-relevant cases, and usually names an alternative product — one medicine can appear once per strength.

How medicine shortages are managed in Germany

Pharmaceutical companies report supply interruptions of prescription medicines to BfArM, which publishes them in the register this page tracks.

A standing advisory board (Beirat) at BfArM reviews the list and classifies which shortages are supply-critical (versorgungskritisch); those get active management — data requests, stock monitoring, and coordination with hospitals and wholesalers.

Since the 2023 ALBVVG supply law, pharmacies may deviate from the prescribed pack size, strength or dosage form of the same active substance during a listed shortage without sending the patient back to the prescriber — a flexibility made permanent after the pandemic.

If the health ministry formally declares a Versorgungsmangel (supply emergency), temporary imports of foreign-labelled packs become permissible for that medicine.

Structurally, Germany's rebate-contract system concentrates generic supply on few winners per substance, which is why a single manufacturing problem can empty the market — a dynamic the ALBVVG tries to soften for antibiotics and children's medicines.

What to do if your medicine is affected in Germany

If your medicine appears here, ask your Apotheke first: German rules give pharmacies extra substitution flexibility during declared shortages, and BfArM's register usually names an alternative product (see the Alternatives column). For hospital-relevant medicines, supplies are actively managed. Your prescriber can switch you to a listed equivalent where one exists. Never stop a treatment on your own — confirm any switch with your pharmacist or prescriber.

Searched locally as: Lieferengpass, Lieferengpässe, Medikament nicht lieferbar.

Newest reports

All affected medicines

Shortages by country

Frequently asked

How many medicines are currently in shortage in Germany?

As of 5 November 2026, 227 medicines have open availability reports in BfArM (Germany), covering 481 product-level entries. 14 new reports were filed in November 2026.

Where does Germany publish its official shortage list?

BfArM (Germany) — this page aggregates it daily and links every entry back to the official record. BfArM logs company-reported Lieferengpässe per product, flags hospital-relevant cases, and usually names an alternative product — one medicine can appear once per strength.

Can a German pharmacy give me a substitute without a new prescription?

Within limits, yes. During a listed Lieferengpass, pharmacies may hand out a different pack size, strength or dosage form of the same active substance without a new prescription. A switch to a different active substance still needs your prescriber — BfArM's register usually names candidate alternatives.

Why does Germany have so many medicine shortages?

Most stated causes in the register are production problems and increased demand, but the structural driver is economic: rebate tenders concentrate each generic on very few suppliers, and much active-ingredient production sits outside Europe. When one plant fails, there is often no second source serving the German market.

Embed this counter

Newsrooms and health sites may embed the live Germany shortage count — free, with attribution:

<iframe src="https://www.mobidoctor.eu/medicine-shortages/country/de/embed.html" width="100%" height="130" loading="lazy" style="border:1px solid #e1e0d9;border-radius:12px" title="Medicine shortages in Germany"></iframe>
<p style="font-size:12px">Source: <a href="https://www.mobidoctor.eu/medicine-shortages/country/de/">Medicine shortages in Germany — European Medicine Shortage Tracker</a> by MobiDoctor</p>