DHSC issues multiple drug supply alerts

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a supply disruption notification for Azathioprine tablets and updates regarding the ongoing shortages of Sayana Press injection, Mianserin, Disopyramide, Clonidine and Synphase tablets and Seroxat oral solution.

All suppliers of Azathioprine 25mg tablets are out of stock, according to the PSNC. This may last until the w/c January 27.

Pfizer’s contraceptive injection Sayana Press (medroxyprogesterone acetate 104mg), which is out of stock since August 2019 due to manufacturing delays, is now expected to be back for resupply in the first quarter of this year. Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate 150 mg) is currently available to support the market if clinicians consider a medicine switch appropriate.

Mylan, which issued a supply notice for Mianserin 10 mg and 30mg tablets has now extended the resupply date to June 2020. The resupply date for the manufacturer’s Disopyramide 10 mg capsules also extended to March. However, supplies of both products are available from specialist importers.

The updated resupply date for Clonidine 25mcg tablets and Synphase (Ethinylestradiol and Norethisterone) tablets are also changed respectively to mid/end February 2020 and end January 2020.

DHSC also updated the resupply date for Seroxat (paroxetine) 20mg/10ml oral solution from previously announced January 2020 to February 2020 and reminded that paroxetine tablets, which can be prescribed in place of oral solutions, are available from various suppliers.

Unlicensed preparation of paroxetine 20mg/10ml oral solution is available from importers Clinigen, WEP Clinical, Mawdsleys and Target Healthcare Ltd.

If a prescriber wishes a pharmacist to dispense an import, PSNC advises to annotate such prescriptions as ‘specials/unlicensed’ in the prescribing line and endorse as follows:

• Amount dispensed over pack size used;
• Invoice price per pack size from which the order was supplied less any discount or rebate;
• Manufacturers’/importers’ MHRA licence number;
• Batch number of the product supplied;
• SP

As per a memo from Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS), the resupply date for Salofalk (mesalazine) suppositories 500mg by Dr Folk is also pushed back to mid-April 2020 with no date confirmed for the 1g suppositories.