The manufacturer Accord will be out of stock of the anti-epileptic drug Phenytoin Sodium NRIM 100mg capsules until 'early May'.
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The Department of Health and Social Care issued a supply disruption alert today (10 January), which contains advice on how to manage patients affected by the shortage.
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The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee noted that as phenytoin is a category 1 anti-epileptic drug, it is recommended that patients are kept of a specific manufacturer's product.
The negotiator noted that an alternative phenytoin sodium 100mg capsules manufactured by Flynn Pharma is available but warned that 'switching to an alternative formulation requires monitoring and may also require specialist support, advice or referral'.
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