Medicine Supply Notification: Imiquimod (Aldara® 5% and Bascellex® 50mg/g) cream 250mg sachets
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicine supply notification for Imiquimod (Aldara® 5% and Bascellex® 50mg/g) cream 250mg sachets
MSN/2024/109
Tier 2 medium impact
Date of issue: 26th November 2024
- Imiquimod (Aldara®) 5% cream 250mg sachets are out of stock until mid-January 2025
- Imiquimod (Bascellex®) 50 mg/g cream 250mg sachets are out of stock until early January 2025.
- Podophyllotoxin (Warticon®) 0.15% cream is out of stock until late January 2025 (reported in MSN/2024/069).
- Efudix® (fluorouracil 5%) cream remains available, however it cannot support an uplift in demand.
- Alternative products remain available, and where these are not suitable, unlicensed supplies may be sourced, lead times vary.
Unlicensed products
The following specialist importers have confirmed they can source unlicensed imiquimod 5% cream (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 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.
