Hard-to-Source & Locally Unregistered Medicines

Hard-to-Source and
Locally Unregistered
Medicine Supply from the UK

Euro Biom supplies genuine, fully UK-licensed medicines. We are an MHRA WDA-licensed wholesaler that locates hard-to-obtain UK-licensed products, including discontinued lines, low-volume products, orphan rare-disease drugs, and medicines not yet registered in your destination market, for hospitals, importers and procurement teams worldwide.

MHRA WDA Licence No. WDA(H) 59239
Request a Sourcing Quote Named Patient Supply

⚡ Same-day response to every enquiry  ·  Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00  ·  WhatsApp us

What This Means
The medicine the market
cannot easily reach.

A hard-to-source medicine is a genuine, fully UK-licensed product that is difficult to obtain through ordinary supply channels. Where the routine market cannot deliver, we locate it. Every product we supply holds a UK Marketing Authorisation. The difficulty is one of availability, not of licensing status.

These products fall into a few categories. Discontinued lines that the original supplier no longer manufactures. Low-volume products that mainstream wholesalers do not routinely stock. Orphan and rare-disease drugs produced in small quantities. And UK-licensed medicines that are not yet registered in your destination market, where the buyer imports them under their own country import route.

When a product is not yet registered in the destination country, the buyer imports it under their own regulatory route, for example a SAHPRA Section 21 authorisation, an SFDA or NUPCO pathway, a MOHAP import permit, or an equivalent Ministry of Health permit. The UK product remains fully licensed. It is the destination market that has not yet authorised it. Euro Biom supplies the export documentation that supports that application.

UK Marketing Authorisation MHRA WDA Licensed GDP Compliant Full Documentation
"When a UK-licensed medicine is hard to find or not yet registered in your market, we locate it and supply it correctly. Euro Biom holds the WDA authorisations to source and export genuine UK-licensed products."
Who We Supply
Built for Hospitals, Importers
and Procurement Teams

Hard-to-source and locally unregistered UK-licensed medicines are needed by many different buyers. The product is always genuine and UK-licensed. The import route depends on the destination country.

🏥
Hospitals & Hospital Pharmacies
UK and international hospital pharmacies and procurement teams sourcing genuine UK-licensed medicines that are hard to obtain through routine channels, including discontinued lines and low-volume oncology and rare-disease products.
🚢
Importers & Distributors
Licensed importers and distributors in the GCC, Africa and beyond who bring UK-licensed medicines into markets where the product is not yet registered, using their own country named-patient or import-permit route. We supply the product and the export documentation.
🏛️
Ministries of Health & Tender Bodies
Government procurement agencies and central medical stores sourcing UK-licensed medicines to fill registration gaps, cover shortages or meet tender lines, supported by Certificates of Pharmaceutical Product for their import-permit applications.
🕊️
NGOs & Humanitarian Programmes
Aid organisations and humanitarian supply programmes sourcing genuine UK-licensed medicines for regions where local registration is limited, with full GDP documentation and chain-of-custody traceability for donor and audit requirements.
🧬
Rare Disease & Orphan Drug Buyers
Specialist centres and patient programmes requiring orphan and rare-disease medicines that hold a UK Marketing Authorisation but are produced in small volumes and rarely held by mainstream wholesalers. We locate and supply them as genuine UK-licensed products.
📦
Discontinued & Shortage Buyers
Pharmacies, wholesalers and clinics chasing UK-licensed lines that have been discontinued or are in short supply through normal channels. We trace remaining stock and alternative UK-licensed sources, with clear pricing and lead times upfront.
Regulatory Framework

The licences that make
cross-border supply legal and traceable.

Every medicine we supply holds a UK Marketing Authorisation. Where a product is not yet registered in the destination market, the buyer imports it under their own country route. The supply chain is held together by clear licensing and full documentation at every step.

MHRA Wholesale Dealer Authorisation

Euro Biom holds WDA(H) 59239, granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The WDA permits us to procure, hold, supply and export genuine UK-licensed medicines compliantly. The licence is publicly verifiable on the MHRA register.

WDA(H) 59239  |  MHRA Site 37434242

UK Marketing Authorisation

Every product we supply holds a UK Marketing Authorisation, the licence granted by the MHRA confirming the medicine is approved for use in the United Kingdom. We source only from authorised UK manufacturers and verified UK supply chains, with product credentials confirmed at every supply.

UK-licensed products only

Destination-Country Import Routes

Where a UK-licensed product is not yet registered in the buyer's market, the importer brings it in under their own country route, for example SAHPRA Section 21, an SFDA or NUPCO pathway, a MOHAP import permit or an equivalent Ministry of Health permit. We supply the export documentation that supports the application.

SAHPRA Section 21  |  MoH import permits  |  Named-patient import

GDP Good Distribution Practice

Every order is handled under UK Good Distribution Practice. This includes temperature monitoring through the cold chain where required, batch-level traceability, secure transport, and full batch documentation with every shipment supplied.

Full GDP documentation as standard
How It Works
From Enquiry to Dispatch,
in Four Steps

Sourcing a hard-to-find medicine is straightforward when the supplier is licensed correctly. Our process is built for speed without skipping a single regulatory checkpoint.

Step 01
01
Enquiry
Send the medicine name, strength, formulation, quantity and destination country. We respond the same working day with sourcing options and indicative pricing.
Step 02
02
Quote
Written quotation with confirmed lead time, product credentials, batch availability and pricing. Valid for 14 days, no obligation to proceed.
Step 03
03
Documentation
On order confirmation we prepare GDP transport documentation, batch records, and the export paperwork your destination-country import application requires, including a Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product where needed.
Step 04
04
Dispatch
Specialist pharmaceutical courier with temperature monitoring where required, full track-and-trace, and signature on delivery to your nominated pharmacy, hospital or import address.
Common Categories
Where Hard-to-Source Demand
Most Often Arises

Hard-to-source and locally unregistered demand clusters around a small number of product types. Euro Biom has active sourcing relationships across all of the following.

📦
Discontinued Lines
UK-licensed products that the original supplier no longer manufactures or distributes through normal channels. We trace remaining authorised stock and equivalent UK-licensed sources to keep continuity of supply.
🧬
Orphan & Rare-Disease Drugs
Medicines that hold a UK Marketing Authorisation but are produced in small volumes for rare conditions, and are therefore rarely held by mainstream wholesalers. We source them as genuine UK-licensed products.
🔍
Low-Volume Products
UK-licensed lines with limited circulation that wholesalers do not routinely stock. We hold the supplier relationships needed to locate small-batch and specialist products that are otherwise difficult to obtain.
🌍
Locally Unregistered in GCC & Africa
UK-licensed medicines not yet registered in destination markets such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Nigeria or South Africa. The importer brings them in under SFDA, NUPCO, MOHAP, NAFDAC or SAHPRA Section 21 import routes.
🏥
Hospital Shortage Cover
UK-licensed medicines in short supply through routine wholesale channels. We help hospital pharmacies and procurement teams secure genuine UK-licensed stock to bridge a shortage and maintain continuity of care.
❄️
Temperature-Sensitive UK-Licensed Lines
Cold-chain UK-licensed medicines that require 2 to 8 degree C handling end to end. We manage temperature monitoring, validated packaging and GDP documentation for hard-to-source temperature-sensitive products.
Sourcing Enquiry Checklist
What to send for
an accurate quote.

A complete enquiry returns a complete quotation. The more detail provided upfront, the faster we can confirm sourcing, lead time and export requirements. None of these fields are mandatory to start, but each one accelerates the response.

Submit a Sourcing Enquiry →

⚡ Same-day response  ·  WhatsApp us directly

1
Drug name (INN preferred)
International Non-proprietary Name preferred. Add brand if a specific manufacturer or country of origin is required.
2
Strength and formulation
e.g. 10mg tablet, 5mg/5ml oral suspension, 40mg capsule. Specify the exact presentation required.
3
Quantity and pack size
Total units required and preferred pack size. Note if this is a recurring or one-off requirement.
4
Destination country
Where the medicine is being shipped. Helps us confirm the correct export documentation and import-route requirements.
5
Buyer and institution
Buying organisation, hospital, importer or procurement team. Required before final supply, helpful at quote stage.
6
Required by date
Routine, urgent or emergency. Any firm clinical deadline drives our manufacturer prioritisation.

Need a Hard-to-Source Quote?

Send us the medicine, strength and quantity. We respond the same working day with availability, product credentials, lead time and pricing. No obligation at quote stage.

Submit an Enquiry WhatsApp Us Directly
Frequently Asked Questions
Hard-to-Source Supply, Explained

Common questions from hospital pharmacists, importers and procurement teams.

What does hard-to-source mean?
A hard-to-source medicine is a genuine, fully UK-licensed product that is difficult to obtain through normal channels. This includes discontinued lines, very low-volume products, and orphan or rare-disease drugs that hold a UK Marketing Authorisation but circulate in small quantities. Euro Biom locates and supplies these through its WDA(H) 59239 network.
What does locally unregistered mean?
Locally unregistered describes a product that holds a UK Marketing Authorisation but is not yet registered in the buyer's destination market. The product is fully UK-licensed. It is the destination country that has not yet authorised it. The buyer imports it under their own country named-patient or import-permit route, for example SAHPRA Section 21 or a Ministry of Health import permit.
Does Euro Biom supply genuine UK-licensed medicines?
Yes. Euro Biom supplies only genuine, fully UK-licensed medicines that hold a UK Marketing Authorisation. We do not supply products without a UK licence. The hard-to-source or locally unregistered status always relates to availability or to registration in the destination market, never to the licensing status of the UK product.
How quickly can you supply a hard-to-source medicine?
For UK-licensed products that are readily locatable, supply can be arranged within 24 to 72 hours. Discontinued or very low-volume lines may take 5 to 10 working days, depending on availability across our supplier network. We respond to every enquiry the same working day.
What documentation comes with each supply?
Every supply includes batch records, GDP-compliant transport and temperature documentation where applicable, and full chain-of-custody traceability. For export orders we also provide a Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product and the UK export paperwork your destination-country import application requires.
How does importing a UK-licensed medicine into my country work?
Euro Biom supplies the UK-licensed product with full export documentation. The importer uses their own regulatory route to bring it in, for example a SAHPRA Section 21 authorisation, an SFDA or NUPCO pathway, a MOHAP or NAFDAC permit, or an equivalent Ministry of Health import permit. We provide the documentation that supports the import application.
Can you supply orphan and rare-disease medicines?
Yes. Orphan and rare-disease medicines that hold a UK Marketing Authorisation are a core part of our hard-to-source work. These products are often produced in small volumes and are not held by mainstream wholesalers. We source them as genuine UK-licensed products for hospitals, importers and procurement teams.
Related Resources

Further reading for hospital pharmacists, dental procurement and community pharmacy teams.

Service
Named Patient Medicine Supply for Hospitals and Institutions
View service →
Services
Full Range of Euro Biom Pharmaceutical Services
View services →
Compliance
Our MHRA WDA Documentation and Regulatory Standards
View compliance →
Guide
Named Patient Medicines: A Complete Hospital Sourcing Guide
Read full guide →
Therapeutic Area
Oncology Medicines: 133 Cancer Drugs in UK Wholesale
View oncology →
Contact
Submit a Hard-to-Source Medicines Enquiry
Contact us →

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