Medicine Supply Notification: Camellia sinensis extract (Catephen® ) 10% ointment Fluorouracil (Efudix® ) 5% cream Imiquimod (Aldara® 5% and Zyclara® 3.75%) cream 250mg sachets

Update (03/02/2025): Updates to communication (MSN/2024/109) issued 26 November 2024 in bold

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicine supply notification for Camellia sinensis extract (Catephen®) 10% ointment Fluorouracil (Efudix®) 5% cream Imiquimod (Aldara® 5% and Zyclara® 3.75%) cream 250mg sachets

MSN/2024/109U

Tier 2 medium impact

Date of issue: 26th November 2024 (03/02/2025)

• Limited supply of alternative products (see Supporting Information).
• Unlicensed supplies may be sourced; lead times vary.

Unlicensed products

The following specialist importers have confirmed they can source unlicensed supplies of the listed products (please note there may be other companies that can also source supplies)

• Alium Medical
  • (fluorouracil 5% cream, imiquimod 3.75% and 5% cream)
• Chemys
  • (fluorouracil 5% cream)
• Genetech Pharmaceuticals
  • (fluorouracil 5% cream, imiquimod 5% cream)
• Durbin
  • (fluorouracil 5% cream, imiquimod 3.75% and 5% cream)
• Target Healthcare
  • (fluorouracil 5% cream, imiquimod 5% cream)
• Mawdsleys
  • (fluorouracil 5% cream, imiquimod 3.75% and 5% cream)

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 the unlicensed product cannot be issued. Where a prescriber wishes to prescribe a specially manufactured or imported product, an FP10 paper prescription should be issued as ‘imiquimod 5% cream (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 NHS England 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.