Medicine Supply Notification: Promethazine hydrochloride 25mg tablets

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicine supply notification for Promethazine hydrochloride 25mg tablets.

MSN/2022/060

Tier 2 – medium impact

Date of issue 6th July 2022

  • Promethazine hydrochloride 25mg tablets are out of stock until mid-August 2022.
  • There are limited supplies of other promethazine formulations.
  • Alternative sedating antihistamines remain available. Where these are not suitable, unlicensed supplies of promethazine hydrochloride 25mg tablets may be sourced, lead times vary.

The following specialist importers have confirmed they can source unlicensed promethazine 25mg tablets (please note there may be other companies that can also source supplies):

If there is currently no listing on dm+d for the imported product for prescribers to select using their prescribing systems an EPS prescription for unlicensed Promethazine hydrochloride 25mg tablets cannot be issued. Where a prescriber wishes to prescribe an unlicensed import, an FP10 paper prescription should be issued as ‘ Promethazine hydrochloride 25mg tablets (Special Order)‘ and endorsed by the pharmacy as a non-Part VIIIB special with the following information:

  • 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

A copy of this medicine supply notification, including further information, has been sent to all pharmacy NHS email addresses.

DHSC and NHSE/I have now launched an online Medicines Supply Tool, which provides up to date information about medicine supply issues. The contents of these MSNs can now be viewed on the Tool.

The Tool also details any changes to resupply dates and updates to the entries.

To access the Tool you will need  an NHS email address. Once set up and logged in, you will be able to access it online.

New shortages not listed on the SPS website, can be reported using our shortage reporting tool.