Pfizer’s lorazepam 4mg solution faces supply disruption

The Department of Health and Social Care (DH) has issued a medicine supply notification for lorazepam (Ativan) 4mg/ml solution for injection of Pfizer.

Supplies of the medicine will be extremely limited between now and early December and the product has also been reserved for primary care only.

A US product, lorazepam injection 2mg/ml, supplied in carpuject single dose cartridges and considered unlicensed in the UK, is available from Pfizer during the deficient supply period.

“Further details, including the bioequivalence, device differences and link to a training video for the use of Carpuject cartridges and holder can be found in the MSN which will have been emailed to community pharmacy teams nhs.net shared mail box directly,” the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee reported.

There is currently a listing on dm+d for the imported product for prescribers to select using their prescribing systems so an EPS prescription for unlicensed lorazepam 2mg/ml solution for injection carpuject cartridges can be issued.

If a prescriber is unable to issue an unlicensed EPS prescription in the correct way, then pharmacy teams have been suggested to contact the prescriber for an FP10 paper prescription to be issued as ‘lorazepam 2mg/ml solution for injection carpuject cartridges (Imported)’ and endorsed by the pharmacy as a non-Part VIIIB special.