Medicine Supply Notification: Minims® Oxybuprocaine hydrochloride 0.4% eye drops 0.5ml unit dose Minims® Proxymetacaine 0.5% eye drops 0.5ml unit dose
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicine supply notification for Minims® Oxybuprocaine hydrochloride 0.4% eye drops 0.5ml unit dose Minims® Proxymetacaine 0.5% eye drops 0.5ml unit dose.
MSN/2023/079
Tier 3 – high impact
Date of issue 22nd August 2023
- Minims® Oxybuprocaine hydrochloride 0.4% eye drops 0.5ml unit dose and Minims® Proxymetacaine 0.5% eye drops 0.5ml unit dose are in limited supply until early October 2023.
- Where stock is unavailable, unlicenced supplies of proxymetacaine 0.5% eye drops 10ml (contains preservative: benzalkonium chloride) may be sourced, lead times vary.
- Minims® Tetracaine Hydrochloride 0.5% w/v and 1% w/v eye drop solution remain available but can only cover normal demand.
Unlicensed imports
Target Healthcare have confirmed they can source unlicensed proxymetacaine hydrochloride 0.5% eye drops solution (10 x 10ml) (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 proxymetacaine hydrochloride 0.5% eye drops solution cannot be issued. Where a prescriber wishes to prescribe a specially manufactured or imported product, an FP10 paper prescription should be issued as ‘Proxymetacaine hydrochloride 0.5% eye drops solution (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.
