The TGA says supplies of one popular medication should return to normal by the end of the month, while another will be short till July.
The TGA has good news for people who have been unable to access the ADHD drug lisdexamfetamine for months, but bad news for those using dispersible fluoxetine.
Earlier this week the TGA announced the lisdexamfetamine dimesilate (Vyvanse, Takeda Pharmaceuticals Australia) shortages were expected to resolve by the end of the month.
The 40mg and 60mg doses of the popular ADHD drug currently have limited availability but supply should return to normal levels by 30 April, it said in a statement.
“Takeda has advised that the shortages have been caused by manufacturing delays compounded by increased demand and while they are expecting some deliveries of the strengths of Vyvanse that are in shortage during this period, these are not expected to satisfy all demand,” the TGA said.
Supplies of the 20mg, 30mg, 50mg and 70mg doses have already returned to normal levels, after the 20mg and 30mg doses experienced shortages last year, it said.
Related
Elsewhere, the national shortage of 20mg dispersible fluoxetine tablets (Zactin Tabs, Alphapharm) has been extended to 30 June after the supplier advised the TGA of manufacturing issues.
Last year the TGA temporarily added the Medreich brand of fluoxetine to the PBS as an overseas alternative to the Zactin tabs.
The TGA has also formed a medication shortage action group, which has advised practitioners on how to manage patients during this time, and made a serious scarcity substitution instrument, which “allows pharmacists to dispense the 20 and 10mg capsule alternatives as needed without first being approved by the prescriber”.
There are currently 414 medication shortages in Australia – with a further 75 anticipated to experience a shortage – per the TGA website.
